What might have been
by Kagami Kyoji
Summary: A retelling of the original Gundam Seed. Please RnR! Update: Final chapter added, working on the GSD sequel...
1. Revelations

Note: I do NOT own anything here.

While the Archangel makes its way to Artemis...

Rau Le Creuset may not show it, but he was fuming inside. On top of Mu La Flaga's impunity in the earlier battle, Athrun Zala's mercy towards the Strike and its pilot was also getting on his nerves. It would have been better if he didn't know that the 2 boys were friends, but that's the problem: he KNEW. Although Athrun had promised to shoot down the Strike, he has yet to do so. Time to stop this little charade, he thought to himself. He spoke into the intercom.

"Get me Yzak Joule, Dearka Elsman and Nicol Amarfi," he ordered in his silky smooth voice.

"You wished to see us, Commander," asked Yzak as the trio saluted their commander.

"Take your seats. I have important information for the three of you," said Rau in an even tone.

As the trio sat down, Nicol was a little nervous. He had a slight fear of his commander, in part because of that mask he always wore. He knew he was overly sensitive but somehow, a superior who kept his face hidden gave him the creeps.

Rau stood up and placed his hands on the table as he looked straight at them.

"Athrun Zala is a friend of the Strike's pilot."

It was a simple statment but it was a bombshell to the 3 teens. Yzak couldn't contain his rage.

"WHAT! No wonder he insisted on capturing the Strike that time while I was about to finish it," thundered Yzak. "Damn you, Athrun!"

"That goes a lot towards explaining his sorry performance," sneered Dearka with his usual sarcasm.

"I don't understand. Surely Athrun.." Nicol questioned.

"Nicol, Athrun confirmed that fact with me himself. As it turned out, those two were the best of friends." With that, Rau silenced the younger boy.

"What are your orders then, Commander?" Yzak had finally calmed down after his outburst.

"Once the Vesalius has been repaired, I will take Athrun back to the PLANT. The three of you will remain behind on the Gamow and pursue the legged ship and Strike. Remember, now that you know that the Strike's pilot is a Coordinator, act accordingly."

Rau turned towards Yzak.

"I hope the next news I hear from you will be the demise of Strike and the legged ship, Yzak," said the commander with a thin smile.

"I will not disappoint you, Commander," said Yzak as he saluted.

"Oh, and one more thing: what I've just told you must remain within this room. We wouldn't want to embarrass Defence Chairman Zala by spreading the word that his son's friend is among the ranks of the enemy. That's all from me. Any questions?"

The 3 pilots shook their heads. They then saluted and took their leave.

Rau Le Creuset's smile grew wider. Without Athrun's interference, the Strike will be an easier target. He hoped that Yzak will be the one to destroy Strike; the boy's ambition will go a long way towards helping Rau's own plans...

Much later, on the bridge of the Archangel, while heading towards the moon fleet...

Murrue Ramius was thinking hard. Besides deciding their course of action when they linked up with the fleet, she had been wondering about the Strike's behaviour in battle. Though she could find nothing to criticize Kira's performance, something just didn't add up, especially when the Aegis comes into the picture...

"A penny for your thoughts, Captain?"

Murrue turned around. It was La Flaga.

"Nothing... just thinking about the Strike and the Aegis, that's all."

"So, you noticed it too, didn't you," said the Hawk in a serious tone.

Murrue sat up straight.

"You mean..."

"Skinny always acts a little strangely around the Aegis, and so does the Aegis around the Strike." Mu knew what he was talking about. Though he had found it odd that the Aegis had tried to drag the Strike away instead of destroying it outright before the Archangel reached Artemis, he had put it down to Le Creuset's orders to capture the Suit. Now that Murrue too had her doubts, perhaps it's time to talk.

"I'm not sure if I should say this, but let's not forget that the Strike specifically asked for the AEGIS during the transfer of Lacus Clyne." pointed out Romero Pal. The rest of the crew on duty nodded. Thankfully, none of Kira's friends were around.

Murrue thought very hard. She knew that Natarle Badgiruel must still be chewing Kira out for letting Lacus go.

"Let's pay the kid a little visit," she told La Flaga.

In the interrogation room, Natarle was indeed giving Kira a dressing down. He wasn't paying much attention when suddenly, Murrue Ramius and Mu La Flaga stepped into the room.

"Captain, I thought you should be at the bridge," Natarle exclaimed. Murrue knew that her first mate valued rules above almost anything else; Kira's matter, however, cannot wait.

"I, or rather we, have some things to ask Kira," said Murrue, gesturing towards herself and La Flaga.

Kira sat up straight. He respected his captain and the Hawk, although he had no idea what they wanted from him.

"Tell us the truth, Skinny. Is there something going on with you and the Aegis?" As always, Mu wasted no time in getting to the point. For greater effect, he placed his hands on the table and leaned towards Kira.

Murrue was observing Kira very closely. She already had the answer she needed; now, it's only up to Kira to confirm it.

Kira was taken aback. He was sure that no one knew about him and Athrun. So how did...

"We're Naturals, Kira. But that doesn't mean we're idiots. Even the least observant of people will ask questions after seeing what you did during the transfer of Lacus Clyne and what the Aegis did to you back before we reached Artemis," continued Mu.

"Lacus was Athrun's fiancee..." began Kira.

"You even KNEW his name. Nice one, Kira Yamato," Natarle was now raising her voice as she glared at the pilot.

Murrue was slowly shaking her head. Mu, on the other hand, smiled grimly.

"Lacus told me his name. I.. I swear I don't know him beforehand," cried Kira. He was close to tears.

"Did Miss Clyne know that this Athrun was piloting the Aegis?" Murrue was getting angry. That day in Heliopolis... She remembered the ZAFT soldier stopping before Kira while he was closing in on her. It all finally made sense.

Kira decided to admit everything. Among the crew, only he knew that the Aegis was piloted by Athrun Zala, his former best friend. As he told the 3 officers his story, he couldn't help but think of how disappointed Captain Ramius must be. She had trusted him with the lives of everyone on board the Archangel. Although he had not abused that trust, he had not told her everything either.

"Captain Ramius.." Natarle began. Clearly, she believed that Kira was no longer trustworthy enough to pilot the Strike. Although she admitted that Kira's abilities were great, this latest piece of information was too much for her to stomach.

"I know what to do, Ensign Badgiruel. As for you..." Ramius stared at Kira.

"You will no longer be allowed to engage the Aegis in combat from now on."

"But, Captain," protested the ensign.

"It's for his own good, and ours as well. We need him, Natarle. But, I do acknowledge your concerns. I promise you, should this young man engage the Aegis other than for self defence, he WILL be grounded." She turned towards the teen.

"That was what you wanted all along, didn't you?"

Despite himself, Kira smiled. From now on, he could finally disregard the Aegis and concentrate on the other Gundams. He resolved not to let the captain and her crew down. That would mean that he will have to remain on board the Archangel. He didn't mind; as long as he didn't have to fight Athrun, he will do his part to end the war. 

La Flaga grabbed the teen playfully.

"So, that means from now on, I'll be the one spoiling the Aegis's fun, eh," he said jokingly while ruffling Kira's hair.

"Kira."

La Flaga stopped his teasing as Murrue looked at the teen.

"I hope you understand that what you've just told us must remain here. That goes for the two of you as well," she declared, looking at Natarle as she made her statement. Everyone, including the ensign, nodded.

Natarle bit her lip. The captain did not trust her to keep this matter a secret. True, she still had her misgivings about letting Yamato to continue piloting the Strike. But she wouldn't resort to telling the teen's friends or the rest of the crew about Kira's link to ZAFT; it served no purpose. She gave Kira a side glance as the teen went out of the room.

On his part, Kira was glad that now, the officers knew his secret; still, his friends must be kept in the dark. The more understanding ones wouldn't kick up a fuss. But Flay... He didn't have time to think much about her; Tolle and Miriallia were waiting outside the room...

Murrue gave a sigh. Although she had wanted Kira to leave the battlefield, she realised that it would be impossible now that she, and Natarle, knew of Kira's friendship with the Aegis's pilot. Besides Kira's exceptional skill, given Natarle's nature, she will recommend that Kira be interred for the war's duration if he was released from the EAF; he knew too much about the Archangel and the Strike. Also, she was fond of the kid; the thought of him spending his days in a cell instead of helping to end the war was unacceptable to her.

La Flaga had a thin smile on his face. Now that Kira had finally told someone this big secret of his, his mood will definitely improve. Though many battles still lie ahead for the teen, Mu had no doubt that Skinny will be in a better position to handle them now. Come to think about it, he's already a man for his willingness to tell the truth, however unsavoury it may be. Looks like things might get a little more interesting from now on...

Afterthoughts (Atogaki)

-This retelling is assuming that the adults on both sides had bothered to spot the relationship between Athrun and Kira. Parts not mentioned follow the original storyline. It'll be a bore for you guys to read them again.

-Please RnR! 


	2. The capture of Athrun

Disclaimer: I do not own anything here.

After the Archangel's escape from Africa...

The formation of the Zala team... Le Creuset laughed at the absurdity of the idea. After telling the rest of the pilots of Athrun's relationship to the Strike's pilot, he couldn't believe that the idea even came to his mind. Still, the facade must go on. He had summoned Yzak Joule and Dearka Elsman earlier to emphasize the point. The commander even told Yzak to put up a show for Athrun, which the teen grudgely agreed.

"But, Commander, do Athrun really have to come along," grumbled Yzak.

"You know very well that without him, the 3 of you couldn't take out the Strike. Give the boy some credit. At least, he did put up an open fight against his old friend," said Le Creuset with his ever-present smile.

Yzak's shoulders sagged. He knew that it was pointless to argue with his commander.

"Besides, you ARE too hot-headed to lead the team despite your age, Yzak."

Yzak was about to protest when Dearka, acting as a lookout, gave the signal. Nicol and Athrun are on their way. Yzak began his argument with Le Creuset...

After his little chat with Athrun, Le Crueset returned to his office. As he had ordered, both Yzak and Dearka were still around.

"Apparently, Athrun hasn't forgotten his promise to kill his friend," said Rau with a slight sneer in his voice.

"He hasn't? Well, his memory seems to be better than his skills," Dearka digged at his team leader. Yzak merely gave a cynical laugh.

"Remember to tell Nicol what I've told the two of you. Also, if Athrun tries to stop any of you from taking out the Strike..."

"We will gladly do the job, Commander." Yzak really had enough of Athrun's meddling. Dearka nodded.

At the back of his mind, Rau knew better. Though Yzak, Dearka and Nicol were ace pilots, they won't be a match for Athrun Zala. The commander had seen the teen's shooting abilities for himself. He knew that the Aegis will have to be the one to take down the Strike. Still, there's no harm in placing a little hope on the Duel and the rest to get it done... 

"What!" Nicol Amarfi couldn't believe his ears.

"Those were the commander's orders, Nicol," said Dearka. Yzak was leaning aginst the wall, watching them. Obviously, the subject of their conversation wasn't around.

Nicol was speechless. Knowing that his team leader had a friend in the Strike's pilot was bad enough; his commander's orders to terminate Athrun should he interfere was another blow. The teen respected Athrun. Besides being older, Athrun desired peace, just like Nicol; he himself had joined ZAFT not because of glory, but out of duty.

"Here comes our beloved team leader now," said Yzak with a tinge of sarcasm. Ever since he knew of Athrun's secret, he had wanted to pound the younger boy. He was near his bursting point; he nearly had the Strike back then, if not for HIM...

Dearka looked at Yzak. Like his friend, his dislike for Athrun had increased because of his commander's revelation. But, he was better at hiding it than Yzak. Indeed, the blond had to constantly remind Yzak not to let Athrun know that they knew of his secret.

Athrun, on his part, suspected nothing. He always knew that Joule and Elsman disliked him; they thought that he was too soft. At least, he had Nicol to talk to...

Later, after the Archangel had entered Orb, the Zala team finds themselves in the country of peace...

"Oh, a robo-pet," said Nicol.

As the trio watched Athrun talk to the teen across the chain link fence, Yzak and Dearka had this weird feeling that they've seen the teen somewhere before. As their team leader turned to leave, they did the same. But the teen behind the fence spoke.

"I got this as a gift. It was given to me a long time ago by a very good friend of mine. Thank you for returning it. It's very important to me. More than I could say."

Those words hit Yzak like a ton of bricks. Without thinking about what he's doing, he turned around and blurted, "You're the pilot of the Strike!"

Both Kira and Athrun stared at the platinum-blond teen. Dearka palmed his face while Nicol looked away.

Yzak couldn't contain his rage any more. The pilot who gave him his scar was just behind a chain link fence. He stormed towards Kira.

"Thanks to you, I have this on my face!" Yzak pointed to the scar.

"You're the pilot of.." Kira regained his composure. Birdy flew from his hands to perch on his shoulder.

"The Duel! Next time, your Strike is going down!" threatened Yzak as he strode off. The other 2 teens ran after him.

"Kira!" Cagalli called out.

Athrun was finding it hard to breathe. First, his teammates know of his relationship with Kira. Now, even Cagalli was here?

Cagalli was also surprised to see Athrun. How could ZAFT have infiltrated Onogoro? She quickened her pace towards the fence...

The 3 stood where they were, looking at each other. Cagalli was the first to speak.

"Don't worry, Athrun. I won't call the guards."

Now, it was Kira's turn to be surprised. Cagalli knew Athrun? Athrun saw the look on Kira's face.

"I met Cagalli before, the time when she was shot down," explained Athrun coldly, his green eyes staring at his best friend.

"You 2 know each other?" Cagalli's mouth fell open.

"We're best friends. Once," said Kira. Like Athrun, his tone was hardening as well. Athrun turned to leave.

"Next time we meet, Kira, the Archangel and the Strike WILL fall," declared the ZAFT pilot. 

"Not if I can help it," replied Kira. "Besides, I will not be the one doing battle with you."

Athrun swung around.

"Why?"

"My superiors know about us, Athrun. I'll only attack the others, so stay out of my way."

Athrun's anger was rising. But, he knew better than to argue on.

"We'll see."

Back on board the Cousteau...

"How long have you guys known," exploded Athrun. His pent up anger was too much to bear.

"Since before Artemis, Team Leader." Yzak replied. He, too, think that it was time to lay out all the cards onto the table.

Athrun looked at Nicol, who nodded. Dearka, on the other hand, was deep in thought. Now that Yzak had blown it, the team will almost certainly fall apart. He shuddered to think what Commander Le Creuset will say to that.

"Don't say I didn't warn you, Athrun. If you get in our way when we attack the Strike, we'll not hesitate to shoot YOU as well," said Yzak.

Athrun looked away. That must have been the commander's order. He knew how callous Le Creuset could be.

"So, Athrun, what do we do now," asked Nicol.

Athrun thought for a while. Despite his anger, the mission must still take precedence.

"Tommorrow's mission back to Onogoro will be cancelled. We'll sit and wait for the Archangel to leave Orb."

Yzak and Dearka didn't object. They HAD confirmed that the ship was in Orb. Now, for the sake of unity, all they could do, is wait.

In Onogoro, Kira and Cagalli told each other about their experiences with Athrun. Kira had to bite his lip to prevent himself from laughing when he heard Cagalli's story. Cagalli, on the other hand, wondered aloud about Athrun's plans, now that he knew both of them were here.

Kira knew that this was no laughing matter. ZAFT will attack the moment the ship leaves Orb.

"I guess I'll have to inform the captain. She has the right to know."

"Kira, about your promise not to attack the Aegis..." Cagalli had her doubts.

"It's true. The captain has forbidded me to attack Athrun head on. It's better that way; La Flaga can handle him, I'm sure," said Kira confidently.

Sure enough, upon the Archangel's departure for Alaska, the Zala team striked...

Athrun knew that this attack was different. Now that his team mates are watching him, he had to shift his focus to the Archangel. He hoped that the 3 could handle the Strike on their own.

Kira, on the other hand, thought of his strategy. He will work to disable the enemy Mobile Suits instead of destroying them. The teen had grown confident of his skills; without Athrun at the back of his mind, he would show the other ZAFT pilots what he was capable of.

As the battle raged on, Athrun began to realise that the Strike had become more powerful than he remembered from their previous encounters. You have become better, Kira, thought the team leader. He wanted to help his team, but the Archangel was focusing her fire on him. The Skygrasper too was keeping him occupied. Kira's warning to Murrue and La Flaga meant that they were prepared for the skirmish. Tolle, being the new guy on the ground, was in charge of the Strike's equipment.

For the other ZAFT pilots, the Strike was fast becoming a problem to them. Despite their knowledge that its pilot was a Coordinator, and Athrun's staying out of the fight, the 3 were losing ground. Yzak had to admit the bitter truth: he wasn't good enough to take out the Strike. His threat to Kira now sounded like a hollow boast. Both Dearka in the Buster and Nicol in the Blitz couldn't find an answer to the Strike's attacks either. Nicol was especially at risk. He knew that the Blitz could never stand to the Strike in a head-on challenge. 

Taking advantage of his enemies' despair, Kira pressed in. He calmly activated his SEED powers.

The Strike surged forward. In a single instant, it had cut off an arm and a leg each off the Duel and the Buster. Yzak and Dearka cursed. The crew of the Archangel cheered. Even La Flaga was amazed at Kira's feat.

Nicol was shocked at the extent of the Strike's capabilities. Knowing that the Duel and the Buster couldn't continue with the battle, he called out to Athrun. He hated to do it, but Yzak and Dearka needed an escort or their Mobile Suits would become their coffins instead.

"Athrun, we'll have to withdraw!"

"The three of you go ahead," replied Athrun. He was still being pinned between the Archangel and the Skygrasper.

"What's the matter, Aegis? Are we getting a little too much for you to handle," challenged La Flaga over the intercom. He knew that Kira couldn't touch the Mobile Suit. It was up to him and the Archangel to get the Aegis.  
Athrun swore. His situation was getting desperate. The Aegis's almost out of power, and his team was withdrawing.

Suddenly, the Skygrasper scored a hit. The Aegis lurched. Alarms and sirens were going off inside the cockpit. The Aegis was out for the count.

As Kira saw the Phase Shift armour of the Aegis fading, he heard Natarle's voice.

"Ensign Yamato, capture the Aegis and bring it back to the Archangel!"

"I copy that," replied Kira in a triumphant voice. The Aegis was finally back where it belonged.

As the Strike grabbed hold of the Aegis, Kira spoke over the intercom, "Don't worry. They won't hurt you."

Athrun smiled in spite of his defeat. In a way, it's ironic that Kira had managed to capture him instead of the other way round. He now wondered what will lie in store for him.

In the Archangel's hangar, the guards on duty pointed their rifles at the Aegis's cockpit. Kira, La Flaga and Murrue stood with them as Athrun opened the cockpit and meekly descended to the floor.

"So, you're Athrun Zala, fiance of Lacus Clyne," said La Flaga.

Athrun gave Kira a surprised look. He didn't expect the enemy to know this fact.

"I told them everything," said Kira with an even tone.

Murrue stepped forward. "I'm Murrue Ramius, captain of the Archangel. I believe we've met before, Athrun." She extended a hand towards the pilot.

Athrun looked at the lady. He remembered now: she was the technician whom he shot at before he saw Kira. He shook her hand firmly. He knew that the only reason why he was being treated so kindly was Kira. He saw no reason to spoil their relationship.

"Come this way. We have some questions for you."

"In fact, a LOT of questions," added La Flaga, as he winked at Murrue.

In the interrogation room, Murrue and La Flaga asked about his knowledge of ZAFT tactics and personnel. Athrun was uncooperative; at the end of it all, he gave nothing away. La Flaga and Murrue sighed. Though the teen was respectful, they doubted they will get any information out from him.

"Captain, Lieutenant Commander, may I have a word with him, in private?"

Murrue hesitated; she had faith in Kira. After granting him permission, she left the room with the Hawk.

Athrun had no idea what Kira wanted from him. But he knew that he will not tell him anything about ZAFT.

"How's Lacus?"

Now, this was completely unexpected. Athrun struggled to find the right words.

"She's... fine. She asked about you too." came the reply.

Kira knew that his question had unnerved his friend. At the same time, he's touched that the lady still remembered him.

"I heard about your encounter with Cagalli from her. Looks like you really took care of her back there."

Athrun had to smile at that. Cagalli came across to him as a little foolish and naive during their chats, but she's likeable. Of course, she had wounded him with that wayward gunshot when she threw the pistol at the wall. But now that he recalled the incident, he couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"Is she onboard as well," asked Athrun out of curiousity.

Kira shook his head. "She's back in Orb." He hesitated before asking his next question. He knew that it would touch a raw nerve.

"Why was Aunt Lenore on Junius 7?" 

Athrun glared at Kira. At the same time, he fought back the urge to cry.

"She was there... as a researcher. Then, the missiles came.."

Kira walked over and placed his hand on Athrun's shoulder. Though he had only vague memories of Lenore Zala, one thing that stood out was her pleasant smile. He was sure that Athrun learnt his mannerisms from her. As for the teen who had lost a mother, he cried. The pain was still too recent for him to forget.

"I've been to.. Junius 7, or at least, the ruins." said Kira.

Athrun looked up at his friend.

"We're there to look for supplies..."

Suddenly, a flood of emotions swept over Athrun. First, they held Lacus hostage and now, they wouldn't even let the dead rest in peace? Athrun grabbed Kira by the collar and slammed him against the wall.

Murrue Ramius and Mu La Flaga barged in, along with some guards. They restrained Athrun while the captain checked out if Kira was hurt.

In tears, Athrun screamed at Kira.

"Why couldn't you guys even leave the dead alone? Is the EAF really a bunch of maruading thieves with no honour at all?"

Kira looked away. He, too, was embarrassed by what he did. He wanted to explain but Athrun clearly was not in the mood.

"Take the prisoner to his cell," ordered the captain. She whispered to Kira,"What happened?"

Kira shook his head. He didn't know where to start...

On the Cousteau...

Yzak was throwing his usual tantrums. Only this time, there was as much self-loathing as anger. He found it hard to swallow the fact that not only had the Strike managed to scar him, now even the Duel was badly damaged. He hammered his fist on the wall.

Dearka was in a foul mood too. The Strike was good, too good for even them, the Le Crueset team. Come to think of it, it's improbable that even a fellow Coordinator could beat the 3 of them so easily. He decided to voice his doubts.

"Hey, do you think there's something fishy with the Strike's pilot?"

Nicol and Yzak looked at the blond. When Dearka isn't making snipe remarks, his observations are a valuable asset to the team.

"what do you mean, Dearka?" Personally, Nicol too couldn't fanthom how the Strike's pilot could be so skilled, even if he is a Coordinator.

"The Strike's specifications are not that different from ours. So, how the hell can it take on the 3 of us and win so easily?"

Yzak tried to sort out his thoughts. Dearka had a point. The 3 of them certainly did their best in engaging the Strike (He has his doubts on Nicol, but he didn't expect the younger boy to be very good either.) . Something is definitely strange about that teen behind the chain link fence.

"Anyway, what are we going to do now," asked Nicol. He was sure that the mission to pursue the legged ship will have to end for now. With only the Blitz fully functional, there is no chance that ZAFT will be able to sink the Archangel before it reaches Alaska.

"Looks like it's time for us to face the music with the commander," said Dearka as he shrugged his shoulders.

Yzak and Nicol had a resigned look on their faces. They could only hope that Le Crueset doesn't do anything drastic.

"Wait! What about Athrun?"

The 2 older teens couldn't care less about their team leader. But his disappearance (and possible capture) will have to be reported as well...

Afterthoughts

-The same as before: All events not referred to follow the original storyline.

-Please RnR! 


	3. The pieces move

Disclaimer: I don't own anything here.

On board the Cousteau...

Rau's voice was silky smooth, as always. But his displeasure was evident. Over the video intercom, the 3 "Red Coat" pilots could imagine their commander blowing his top at the back of his mind.

"So, in short, not only did the Archangel and the Strike escape, the Duel and the Buster had also lost an arm and a leg each, and Athrun is captured?"

"Actually, Commander, we do not know if he's captured...or dead," replied Dearka.

"Is that so? In that case, the 3 of you will return to the PLANTs immediately. I will have to seriously reconsider your status in my team." With that, the screen went black. The 3 sighed. If the Commander didn't even bother to sign off, they're really in big trouble.

Yzak fought hard to restrain himself. He knew it was useless to do anything now. He felt that he had let his mother down. While she's hard at work fighting for the Supreme Council to take a harder stand against Earth, here he was, getting a dressing down from his commander. He stormed out of the room in silence.

Dearka was nonchalant. Sure, he's feeling sore for being beaten by the Strike. But he like to think of his return home as an unexpected holiday. Also, it'll be a time for Yzak to cool off too. He was a little worried for his friend. Though Yzak was an ace pilot, his repeated defeats in the hands of the Strike has left him tired both physically and mentally. As he watched Yzak take his leave, Dearka could only hope for the best.

As for Nicol, he was happy that he was heading home. With this break, he could finally catch up with his piano practise. On the other hand, he worried about Athrun. He hoped that Athrun's friend on the other side will take care of him. Nicol didn't relish the thought of seeing the Strike in combat again, but he knew that it was probably only a matter of time before ZAFT seeks out the legged ship again...

Rau Le Creuset was pondering his options. Despite this failure, the Zala team cannot be disbanded. He could not deny the fact that he had the best of ZAFT under his command. Well, perhaps Athrun Zala could be dropped. Rau knew that Patrick Zala will find ways to put his son back into the war, even if the teen will not fall under ZAFT's official command. It's settled then: If Athrun is still alive, he'll no longer be part of the Le Crueset team. Also, Rau reasoned, he would probably do better in assignments not involving the Archangel or the Strike...

Meanwhile, on the Archangel...

Kira took his friend's meal to the cell. Outside, the guards saluted him with their rifles. After Kira told them the purpose of his visit, one of them unlocked the main door. Kira went into the dark and cramped room. He had came here before, during Sai's imprisonment (although he had stayed outside). Now, another friend of his is locked up in here as well. He placed the tray in front of Athrun. It's been a few hours since that outburst of his; he should have calmed down by now.

Athrun looked up at his visitor. He immediately averted his gaze.

"I'm sorry. I know it's not right for us to search through the ruins. But we needed supplies, especially water." Kira stopped when he realised that Athrun wasn't listening. He sighed, and sat down close to his friend.

Athrun knew that Kira wouldn't have done such a thing unless it was a last resort. He regretted screaming at his best friend just now.

"Sorry."

It was barely audible. But it warmed Kira's heart. He now felt confident enough to go ahead with his chat.

"I've talked to the captain. There may be a chance that we'll release you back to ZAFT before we reach JOSH-A. But, the Aegis will remain here." Although Natarle had VERY strong objections, Murrue refused to dismiss the possibility of letting Athrun go. Although, like Lacus beforehand, the officers had deduced that Athrun was the son of PLANT Defence Chairman Patrick Zala, they figured that since Athrun wasn't a civilian, his value as a hostage is almost non-existent. On the other hand, the EAF could use him to humiliate Zala, as Natarle pointed out matter-of-factly. She was then greeted by stares from Kira, Murrue and Mu. 

Athrun didn't know what to say. Actually, the thought of spending the rest of the war as a prisoner of war didn't seem all that bad. Suddenly, he grew so tired of all the fighting and killing. It's been a year since the war began. Despite efforts from all parties, the violence did not abate at all. What had he achieved so far? Avenging his mother's death? But then, what about his father? Athrun realised that if the EAF decides to display him in front of the Naturals as the son of Patrick Zala, the shame which his father would have to endure...

"Athrun, have you ever thought of leaving the battlefield for good?"

The ZAFT pilot looked at Kira. His friend was right; perhaps he should consider leaving ZAFT. Even if he's released, Athrun knew that Rau Le Crueset would drop him from the ranks of the Red Coats; a failure such as his will not be tolerated. If he couldn't serve with the best, it would be meaningless for him to remain in ZAFT. He enlisted because he wanted to help bring the war to an end. If he's no longer a pilot, he'll just become an ordinary crew member on board some ship or submarine. Again, his father's reputation was at stake.

"Here's some food for you. You must be starving." Kira pushed the tray closer to Athrun. He then stood up and made his way to the door.

"Don't worry. You will go home safely, I promise."

Murrue Ramius and Mu La Flaga looked at the Aegis. Kojiro Murdoch and his crew had been hard at work repairing the Mobile Suit. Natarle was now on the bridge of the ship; given half a chance, she would have wanted to be here as well. Having another of their X Numbers back in the fold was a great morale booster to everyone on board, including the first mate. Still, the question remained: who will pilot the Aegis? La Flaga thought that Kira would be a better choice than him. Murrue, on the other hand, believed that with Mu's experiences with mobile armour, the Aegis will be more versatile in his hands.

Kira joined the 2 officers in the hangar. They asked about his opinion on the matter.  
"The lieutenant commander will make for a better pilot of the Aegis than me. Besides, didn't you say that the Strike's my baby," replied Kira, while winking at La Flaga. Mu laughed out loud while Murrue smiled. Kira was become more cheerful by the day. Perhaps we did the right thing by forcing the truth out of him back then, thought Murrue.

"Come. I'll rewrite the OS of the Aegis, then we'll see how you fare in a Mobile Suit," said Kira teasingly, as he hosted himself into the cockpit...

"It's done. You can try it out now."

Somehow, La Flaga and Murrue weren't surprised that Kira took only 3 minutes to settle everything inside the cockpit. As La Flaga got himself into the red Mobile Suit, he was a little nervous. He could sense everyone in the hangar looking at how he would perform. He checked the OS. It was indeed simple to use. Looks like Skinny's got it all fixed up, thought the Hawk; time to see what she can do. After everyone cleared the area, Mu made his first move.

The Aegis roared to life and took a solid step forward. Every mechanic in the hangar cheered. Kira and Murrue smiled.  
After taking a few more steps, the Hawk's voice boomed over the intercom.

"Can I take her for a spin outside, Captain," asked La Flaga.

Murrue ran near the Aegis and gave the thumbs-up. La Flaga then remembered to contact the bridge. For once, Natarle gave the green light too. The first mate thought that a little hands on will be important for the pilot to adjust to the Suit. Mu got the Aegis into mobile armour mode and prepared for his launch.

After launching from the Archangel, La Flaga spent some time trying out both forms of the suit. As Kira and Murrue had guessed, he enjoyed the mobile armour form. As for the Hawk, this Suit was definitely better than the Skygrasper. He couldn't wait to test it out in battle. However, there was a little problem: The Aegis could not fly in the atmosphere while in its mobile suit form. (To test out the mobile suit mode, he had to land on a deserted island which the Archangel happened to pass by.) This little fly in the ointment stayed in Mu's mind as he returned to the ship.

"So, I guess you're thrilled by your new toy," teased Murrue as Mu descended from the cockpit.

"This going up and coming down thingy's a little troublesome. Needs some getting used to" said La Flaga in a mock serious tone. 

"Now, you know how I feel," deadpanned Kira. All three officers laughed.

"But, there's a small problem. This baby can't fly unless it's in mobile armour form," mused La Flaga.

Both Kira and Murrue sighed. Although the Aegis is now theirs, if the Archangel was to remain on Earth, its usefulness to them will be limited without an external flyer assigned to it.

"I'll think of something," said the captain. The other 2 nodded before taking their leave. 

After returning to his room, Kira lied down on his bed. Staring at the ceiling, he thought of many things. Athrun, the platinum-blond pilot of the Duel, the return of the Aegis, Cagalli, Flay... Kira was a little troubled whenever he thought of the girl. Although he knew that she was using him (in a way), he truly cared for her. After all, he was indirectly responsible for her father's death. Upon seeing its master, Birdy had flown to perch next to Kira. Kira patted his little green friend.

There was a knock on the door.

"Come in." Kira sat up as Flay came in. The lady sat next to Kira. Birdy flew from the bed back to its place on the table.

"Kira...I'm sorry." The boy knew what she had apologized for. He decided to tell her that he already knew what she was up to. Flay looked down at the floor. Kira put his hand on hers.

"I still like you, Flay. I understand how you felt back then, and your decision to use me."

Flay was tearing. She didn't expect Kira to be such a kind person. The girl hugged him and cried on his shoulder. Kira stroked her bright red hair. After she stopped her sobs, Kira continued,"From now on, why don't we become a real couple, like Tolle and Miriallia?"

Flay nodded, a brilliant smile on her tear-stricken face. She had come to ask for his forgiveness, and he wanted their relationship to continue. For the first time, she finally realised that she's a teenager. Moreover, with her father gone, she's now just an average girl. Her days of being a spoilt brat are over. She hugged Kira again.

"Come. Let's go outside." He held Flay's hand and led her out. They were now truly a couple.

Their friends were gathered in the mess hall. Most had just ended their shifts. They were discussing about the recovery of the Aegis when Kira and Flay came in. Sai looked up. He was a little surprised to see the sight before him. Not only were the couple holding hands, Flay had a smile which Sai had never seen before. He knew then that he had made the right choice to give her up to Kira. The rest looked a little shocked too. But Tolle was quick to get up and catch Kira in his trademark headlock. "Looks like you managed to win her heart after all," teased the teen. Kira and the rest laughed. Flay felt relieved. She hoped to be a pillar of support for Kira, along with the rest of the gang. She looked apologetically at Sai, who simply shrugged his shoulders with a resigned smile.

Kira got out of Tolle's headlock; there was something else he needed to do. He told Flay to stay with the rest. The girl didn't question his request; he must have other things to worry about. Kira left the hall and made his way to the cell. 

Athrun had finished the food Kira left for him. As he sat leaning against the wall, he began to think deeper into Kira's abilities. He knew that his team mates were the elite of ZAFT; their red coats proved it. If Kira was able to defeat them so easily, there must be something special about him...He heard footsteps coming his way. He stood up.

Kira looked at the empty tray. Since Athrun was willing to eat, perhaps he would tell Kira what the captain needed. But, no, Kira couldn't get anything out of his friend. He decided to leave. Just as he turned around, Athrun called out to him.

"Wait! You know something, Kira? You're quite a talented kid."

Kira faced his best friend. He had no idea what Athrun meant.

"You managed to defeat some of ZAFT's best pilots out there. Tell that to your captain. That's about the only thing you'll get from me."

"I...beat the best of ZAFT?" Kira seriously thought that Athrun was joking. Athrun nodded. "Either you're really talented, or you're different in some ways, even for a Coordinator."

"Me, different?" Kira thought that he was already a fish out of water, a lone Coordinator among Naturals. Now, his best friend is saying that he's unlike other Coordinators too? Then, what was he? Some kind of freak? With that in mind, he left the cell. He needed to discuss this with the other officers.  
"What!" Natarle couldn't believe her ears. She knew that Kira was good, but she didn't expect their opponent to throw their best pilots at the Archangel and the Strike.

"Is that kid lying," asked La Flaga. After all, he had shot one of them down himself, and he didn't consider himself to be that good when compared to Coordinators. He's proud of his achievements, but he's no fool either.

Murrue was deep in thought. If what Athrun say was true, then Kira was really one-of-a-kind. But, there's always the chance that he was telling a lie.

"Assuming that the prisoner is telling the truth, then we have a super-ace in Kira," said Murrue. She had to refer to Athrun as "the prisoner" in front of Natarle. If not, the ensign will accuse her of being too friendly to the enemy. 

"Well, Skinny did beat them soundly in the last battle. So, if he's really different..." La Flaga looked at Kira from top to toe. "he sure doesn't look like it."

"Captain, when can we let him go," Kira asked suddenly. He was a little sick of being treated like an extraordinary genius. Time to change the subject, he thought.

"Ensign Yamato, what do you mean? The prisoner will follow us to JOSH-A," exclaimed Natarle.

"Natarle, I've said it before. We might let the kid go before we reach Alaska," interrupted Murrue. She did not need to be reminded that Natarle was totally opposed to the idea of letting "the prisoner" go.

Natarle glared at Murrue. The captain gave her a stern look as well. She then turned her gaze towards Kira, who gave her an uninterested look. He did not see the need for a confrontation with her. The decision on Athrun's fate lies on Murrue, not her first mate.

"Fine. But if you let him go..."

"You'll take the matter to higher authorities at Alaska. Yes, we know." Mu too was getting tired of her threats.

Natarle decided to leave. As far as she was concerned, the conversation was over. After the door closed behind her, Murrue made up her mind.

"We'll release Athrun. Dalida." Chandra snapped to attention.

"Use our open frequency to hail any ZAFT ships nearby. Tell them we have a prisoner to return to them."

"So, you don't want to grill him any further," said La Flaga.

"Give him some credit. The least we can do is to let him leave this ship with his honour intact," replied Murrue.

"Well, I reckon that there IS a way to tell if he's saying the truth about Kira," mused La Flaga. Both Kira and Murrue looked at him.

"If he's really a part of this 'elite' squad, I think we won't be seeing him for a long time. His superiors will definitely chew him out over such a failure."

Athrun stood up. He had visitors again. It was Kira, but this time, there were guards along with him. Birdy was there too, perched on Kira's left shoulder.

"Come with me," said Kira.

Following his friend, Athrun made his way to the exterior of the ship. It was then that he realised Kira was serious about letting him go. He looked at Kira.

"Well, I did promise that you'll be going home safely, right? Don't worry, it's official. Your guys will be coming to pick you up."

Athrun didn't know what to say as Kira led him to a small speedboat. He could see a Vosgulov-class submarine in the distance, ready to receive him. Realising that they might never see each other again, Athrun decided to bid farewell to his best friend.

"Goodbye."

"I hope the next time we meet, the war will be over," said Kira. Birdy gave a little chirp of "Birdy!" as well.

Athrun smiled as he patted the robo-pet. He looked at his creation and then at its master. He gave Kira a nod and hopped onto the boat. The speedboat's motor chugged to life. As it sped towards the submarine, Athrun didn't see Kira's eyes becoming a little misty...

Afterthoughts

-Please RnR! 


	4. An Officer and A Gentleman

Disclaimer: Don't own anything here.

Once the teen got on board the submarine, the crew realised that they had a VIP on board. Athrun's last name had caught the commander's eye. He quickly agreed to Athrun's request for a DINN, and despite his protests, arranged for 2 DINN escorts to accompany him to Carpentaria Base. At the base, he managed to change out of his pilot outfit, into his redcoat. From there, upon his request (again), he was moved to the Victoria Spaceport to be taken back to Aprilius One. He didn't want to explain himself over a video intercom. He'll answer for what he did in front of his father... and possibly Rau Le Creuset. The teen decided to doze off on the trip back to the PLANT...

Athrun stepped out of the spaceport on Aprilius One into the PLANT. As always, the controlled weather was just nice for his tastes. But, he wasn't in the mood to enjoy it. On his way back, he hadn't contacted his father in any way. He looked at the Supreme Council building in the distance. I hope I could hitch a ride, he thought. The teen stuck his thumb out. A car stopped in front of him. Today was his lucky day...

"So, you're the Defence Chairman's son." said the driver. He had agreed to take Athrun to his father's office.

"That's right."

"You're very fortunate, young man. Your fiancee's quite beautiful."

Athrun blushed. Almost everyone in the PLANTs knew of his engagement with the Pink Princess. With the announcement on all major television networks, it would have been hard to miss it. Come to think of it, with his dismissal from ZAFT, he might be able to spend more time with her. He could imagine the Haros shouting his name when he visits Lacus...

"Here we go." The middle aged man stopped right outside the majestic building.

"Thank you," said Athrun politely. He looked on as the car drove off. The teen then took a deep breath before stepping into the building...

Patrick Zala was busy. As he was in charge of Operation Spitbreak, he had to supervise the overall coordination of the mission. Luckily, Le Crueset was at hand to help him. Also, he was the only other person who knew about the true nature of the operation...

A voice sounded over the intercom on his desk. It was his secretary. Zala was annoyed. He had given orders that he was not to be disturbed.

"Sir, your son wishes to see you."

Athrun? Zala was a little surprised.

"Tell him to come in."

As he waited for his son to enter, Zala wondered what Athrun's explanation will be. He had heard from Le Creuset that Athrun was missing and the Aegis unit, which he piloted, was lost...

"Chairman," greeted Athrun as he saluted his father.

"Take a seat, young man," said Zala as he looked as his son. "You have a lot of explaining to do."

Athrun told his father about his defeat in the hands of the Archangel, his imprisonment and subsequent release. After he had finished, Patrick spoke.

"So, the Aegis has been re-captured?"

Athrun nodded. "But, Chairman, I managed to find out who the captain of the ship was."

"Oh?"

"Her name is Murrue Ramius."

"It's a 'her', huh?" Patrick was surprised that the mighty Archangel was actually helmed by a lady. Despite his capture, the kid could remain cool-headed for such details. Suddenly, he had a nasty thought.

"Athrun, did you reveal any of our secrets to the enemy?"

Athrun shook his head. He looked at his father straight in the eye.

Patrick smiled. He ought to have more faith in his son. At first, he had wondered how Athrun could have returned if he was captured. The lady captain must have been merciful, perhaps a little too merciful...

Athrun secretly heaved a sigh of relief. Looks like Commander Le Creuset didn't tell him about Kira, thought the teen.

"Athrun, Le Creuset has decided to drop you from his team." The masked commander had briefed the chairman earlier on about his son's disappearance, and his removal from the Le Creuset team.

The teen's shoulders sagged. Although he had expected it, his future in ZAFT now becomes an uncertainty.

"But, you'll remain in ZAFT, as part of my personal guard."

Athrun accepted his father's decision. Becoming part of the Defence Chairman's personal guard should mean that he would not be as busy as he was with the Le Creuset team.

Patrick picked up the phone.

"Siegel, could you get Lacus over to my office? There's something which I wish to show the two of them."

Athrun had no idea what his father had in mind. Something which he wants to show the couple? He was still thinking about what this "something" could be when Siegel and Lacus entered the office. The teen stood up and saluted the PLANT Supreme Council Chairman.

"I know it wasn't easy for you to come on such short notice, Lacus. We all are busy people," deadpanned Patrick.

"Not at all, Uncle Patrick. I'm having a break anyway," replied Lacus sweetly.

"So, shall we proceed," asked Siegel Clyne. The Defence Chairman nodded and motioned Athrun to follow them.

The four made their way to a complex near the Council building. While it appeared to be an ordinary place, the security outside convinced Athrun that this area was holding something top-secret. Within the compound, the numerous checks reinforced Athrun's guess. Finally, they reached a set of doors with 2 scanners by the sides. The 2 older men took out a card each and swept it down the scanners. The doors parted to reveal a darkened hangar. In the darkness, Athrun could only make out the outlines of 2 tall objects which appeared to be Mobile Suits. Patrick snapped his fingers. When the lights came on, the couple gasped. The 2 Mobile Suits were unlike any they had ever seen before.

"The ZGMF-X09A Justice, and the ZGMF-X10A Freedom: the latest weapons in our arsenal. Besides the 4 of us and the makers, no one else in ZAFT know of their existence," introduced Patrick Zala. 

"Their greatest difference from other mobile suits is the addition of the Neutron Jammer Cancellers," continued Patrick.

"What! But, Father..." Athrun was so shocked by the news that he had a slip of the tongue.

"I know, Athrun. But without nuclear power, we cannot hope to beat the Naturals." Both father and son remembered their loss on Feb 14, C.E. 70. But Athrun had something else in mind.

"Chairman, do you realise that the existence of these devices would mean that the enemy will be able to use their nukes should they steal the plans from us," argued the teen. He stared at his father, then looked towards Chairman Clyne.

"I agree with your father, Athrun. As precautions, only the top leaders of ZAFT has access to the plans," reassured Siegel. Athrun was somewhat placated. Despite his surprise, he knew that atomic energy will ensure the durability of these suits due to the extended use of their Phase Shift armour. He looked more carefully at the suits.

"The Justice and the Freedom, eh?"

"Actually, I've brought you here so that you may choose for yourself which one of them you'll pilot," said Patrick, looking at his son. After all, he was still a father. Despite his latest failure, Athrun had been a dutiful son. It was Patrick's way of showing his care to a son he had seldom cared for while his wife was still alive.

Athrun looked at his father. He then observed the 2 Mobile Suits. He didn't care about the specifications. He just wanted the Suit to represent his thoughts and feelings. The pilot looked at Lacus. The Songstress smiled at him. It's settled then.

"I'll take the Justice."

"The Justice it is then. Now, let's visit the mechanical crew to program her."

On their way back to their cars, Siegel Clyne spoke to Athrun.

"Athrun, can you come to my office after this?"

"Not so fast, Siegel. I've something to share with him first,"interrupted Patrick.

"Go ahead, Patrick. My business can wait."

Back at Patrick's office, Athrun stood ramrod straight in front of the desk, waiting patiently for his father to begin. The older Zala thought for a while.

"Athrun, would you like to take part in Operation Spitbreak?"

"Operation Spitbreak?" The teen had heard rumours about the operation.

"Officially, the target is the Panama Spaceport. But..." Patrick deliberated for a while.

"Our actual objective is JOSH-A."

Athrun tried hard to hide his surprise. The Archangel is making its way there, he thought.

"The capture or destruction of JOSH-A will be critical to our victory."

"I'll not disappoint you, Chairman," saluted Athrun. Perhaps with JOSH-A's fall, the war will end.

"You've better not. Now that you're a part of my personal guard, your conduct will be a direct reflection of me and my judgement."

"If that's all, Chairman, I'll take my leave."

Patrick gave the go-ahead. As he watched his son depart, a curious thought came to his mind. He's no longer the kid Patrick remembered from a year ago. He's a man, and soon, he'll become a husband. Though it's a political marriage, so far, everything has turned out well. If they win the war, it'll be perfect, thought Patrick...

Athrun knocked on the door to Siegel Clyne's office.

"Come in."

As he entered the room, he saluted the Chairman, who motioned him to take a seat before his table. As he sat down, Athrun realised that Lacus was seated beside him. He looked at the Chairman.

"She needs to be here, Athrun. I've something to ask from you, young man."

Athrun listened carefully to what his future father-in-law had to say.

"I want you... to keep an eye on Rau Le Cresuet."

To keep an eye on his former superior? Athrun knew then that something wasn't right. But he resisted the urge to question Siegel.

"Ever since the war began, I've noticed that Le Creuset has advocated excessive force in our campaigns. Although I have no evidence against him, I simply find it hard to trust him. Moreover, with his face hidden behind a mask..." Siegel paused and gave Athrun a hard look. "Also, I believe he's targeting your father to further his agenda."

The young scion knew that the possibility was there. With his father's position, if Rau Le Creuset was to become a trusted confidant, his influence in ZAFT will grow enormously. Moreover, now that ZAFT has acquired the Neutron Jammer Cancellers...

As if reading the young man's thoughts, Siegel continued.

"As you have learnt, the NJCs are now part of our arsenal. Should the enemy get hold of them..."

"The secrets of the NJC will remain within the Supreme Council and their families, if they know about them," said Athrun firmly.

"I'm counting on you, young man."

"If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave now." Athrun stood up.

"If you don't mind, could you escort Lacus back as well," asked Siegel.

Athrun took his fiancee's hand. As the couple left the room, Seigel gave a sigh. Although they were only teenagers, they were a symbol of the future in the eyes of most Coordinators. He hoped that the couple would not buckle under the stress of the expectations.

On the sedan, Athrun looked out of the car's window. His life seems to be getting on track: he could now spend more time with his fiancee; he had talked to Kira and settled their differences (somewhat); with the Justice, he could now influence the outcome of a battle more dramatically...

Lacus smiled as she watched Athrun daze off. She didn't want to disturb him, at least, until they reached her place...

The sedan stopped in the compound of the Clyne residence. Lacus had to hold her giggles as she gently tapped Athrun on the lap. The boy woke up from his dreaming.  
Without realising it, he had fallen asleep. I must get some real rest, the teen thought as he stepped out of the vehicle and held the door open for Lacus.

"Thank you." A simple phrase, but it made him blush.

The usual rush of "Athrun! Lacus! Haro!" greeted them as they entered the house. The Haros crowded around Athrun.

"I think they are curious to see you in your uniform, Athrun," said Lacus.

Athrun was embarrassed by the Haros. Although they had done the same thing during his last visit, he was very much aware that he was wearing his ZAFT red coat. If anyone saw him, or took a photo, tongues would surely start to wag. He knew he was being a little paranoid. But...

Lacus could guess what Athrun was thinking.

"A Red Coat of ZAFT should be more dignified, I presume," teased Lacus as she took out a marker from her pocket.

"Pink-chan!"

The pink Haro hopped into her hands. The lady drew 2 circles around the robo-pet's eyes.

"Follow the one with the eye circles," she ordered. The rest of the Haros chased after Pink-chan.

Athrun sighed as he sat down on the couch. When Lacus decided to sit right next to him, the teen looked a little shocked. Despite being his fiancee, the two had always behaved more like good friends instead.

"You know, our relationship must move on a little further now. People are watching." She looked a little sad when she thought of the ZAFT troops whom she had spotted in the audience of her concerts. Unlike Athrun, these soldiers were usually dressed in green, meaning that they stand a higher chance of perishing in the battlefield due to their "grunt" status.

Athrun was tongue-tied. He knew Lacus was mature for her age, but he didn't realise that she knew so much about the nature of their engagement. He didn't dislike Lacus; he just didn't know how to react in the presence of a girl. As he held her hand, he struggled to find the right words.

"I'm... going to take part in Operation Spitbreak." Athrun thought that as his fiancee, Lacus had the right to know.

Lacus had a thin smile as she took in the news. Athrun was a soldier, and it was his duty to help fight for an end to the war. She began thinking about the other teen who's also doing his part to end the conflict.

"Will you be meeting Kira?"

"No," said Athrun firmly, although he knew that it was a lie. He didn't want Lacus to worry unduly. As expected, Lacus brightened up immediately.

"I'll tell them to take some snacks outside."

Athrun smiled as the Songstress made her way to the kitchen. I'm really very fortunate, thought the teen as he recalled the driver's words...

Afterthoughts

-Please RnR!

-Gomen to all Kira-Lacus or Athrun-Cagalli fans. All situations now point to Kira-Flay and Athrun-Lacus. Gomen! 


	5. Prelude to Spitbreak

Note: I do not own anything here...

"Here we are, Alaska at last," said Arnold Newmann with a smile as he steered the Archangel in the direction of JOSH-A. Although they had not entered the dock yet, they had established communications with the base. As expected, the general mood of the crew was buoyant. But Murrue Ramius knew that at JOSH-A, she will have a lot of explaining to do for the Archangel's actions so far. She sighed at the thought of facing the senior officers during the inquiry. 

Natarle Badgiruel looked back at her captain. The first mate was still pondering her options. She could either report objectively everything that has happened, or help Ramius cover up some "errors". She knew that as a military officer, hiding information was wrong; as a friend, she wanted to help the captain too. Despite her differences with Murrue, she hated the thought of leaving the Archangel, even to become a captain of her own ship. La Flaga was right: the two of them worked best with each other. She turned her gaze to everyone on the bridge. The attack at Heliopolis had made them a team, and she resolved to stick with them until the war ended. She thought for a while, and smiled. She had a perfect excuse for her superiors should they wish to transfer her... 

"Archangel, this is Alaska Command Base. You're clear to dock at Pier 102."

"Alaska, we copy that," replied Chandra. The Archangel was safe at last, thought everyone on board.

In his office at JOSH-A, Colonel William Sutherland was thinking about the upcoming inquiry concerning the crew of the Archangel. He was secretly infuriated that a Coordinator was wearing the uniform of the EAF. Still, the Archangel did manage to recapture the Aegis from ZAFT. This makes it difficult for him to blast the captain and her crew. Nevertheless, Sutherland made up his mind to give the crew a tough time...

Kira tugged of the collar of his uniform. It was the first time he was wearing a formal EAF officer's uniform (complete with the cap in his hand), and the teen was clearly unused to the outfit. La Flaga decided to tease him a little.

"Don't worry, Skinny. The uniform will be the least of your worries later on," he said half-jokingly. He knew that there are many Atlantic Federation officers in JOSH-A. If one of them was to lead the inquiry, they would not hesitate to put Kira through the grinder.

Murrue and Natarle looked at each other. They had not discussed what they would say during the inquiry. Looks like I'll have to play it by ear, thought the 2 ladies to themselves. The crew was summoned for the inquiry almost immediatly after the Archangel had finished her settling down in JOSH-A. As such, they didn't have much time to prepare their defence.

As expected, the conference room was empty. The officers seated themselves in the front row, while the rest of the official crew sat behind them. As they waited, everyone had only one hope: the crew would not be forced to leave the EAF or be transferred to other places.

william Sutherland and the other senior officers entered the room. The crew stood up and saluted them. The colonel and the other officers returned the salute. After they had all been seated, the inquiry began.

As Murrue had expected, Colonel Sutherland brought out the losses which the Archangel had caused so far: Heliopolis, Artemis and the Eighth Fleet, among others. With help from Kira and La Flaga, she had tried to defend the actions the ship had undertaken. Though he did not show it, Murrue could tell that the colonel lost his patience whenever Kira stood up to rebuke a point.

Kira, on his part, was reminded of everything he had wanted to put behind him. When he saw the image of the Strike firing the beam cannon which accelerated the destruction of his former home, the teen nearly broke down. La Flaga, sensing Skinny's distress, placed his hand on Kira's lap. The teen calmed down, and was able to give his side of the story, much to the annoyance of Sutherland.

La Flaga himself was getting worked up by Sutherland's accusations. The bastard's out to fix Murrue and Skinny, he thought. He had to remind himself not to walk up to the colonel and give him a punch or two.

Natarle remained silent throughout the whole thing. Headquarters had apparently done their homework and she had nothing to add to the events which Sutherland had pointed out. However, she was dismayed by the intensity of the colonel's grilling. Still, it should mean that her excuse would be more likely to work.

Sutherland was displeased by what he was hearing. Although he had wanted to embarrass the captain for her "misdeeds", her crew, especially that blasted Coordinator kid, jumped to her defence everytime. It occured to him that he will have to break up her core team. La Flaga and Badgiruel will be transferred away, along with George Allster's daughter. The young girl will be useful for drumming up the troops' anti-Coordinator feelings, thought William; the Coordinator can stay with the Archangel for all he cared.

After what seems to be an eternity, the inquiry finally came to an end. The senior officers were apparently satisfied with the testimonies provided. But before he walked out of the room, William Sutherland gave Kira a hard look. Kira looked away from the man; it would be unwise to stare back. After the last one had left, the crew broke out in sighs of relief. Looks like they're cleared, for now...

Rau Le Creuset looked at his 3 charges. Their little break had been good for them, he mused. Yzak was a little calmer now, Dearka couldn't wait to resume work and even Nicol seemed to be eager to take another shot at the enemy. Rau smiled.

"Surely by now, the three of you have already been notified about your involvment in Spitbreak?"

The three pilots nodded. Their parents have told them that Operation Spitbreak was officially approved by the Supreme Council.

"This is an important mission. It'll be a perfect place for the 3 of you to display your skills as Red Coats of ZAFT." 

"Yes, Commander," replied the three.

"Commander, will Athrun be joining us," asked Nicol. He hadn't seen the older teen for quite some time now.

"Nicol, Athrun is no longer part of the team. But, according to the defence chairman, he remains in ZAFT. Who knows, he might distinguish himself in Spitbreak to make up for his defeat the last time," said Le Cresuet in his silky smooth voice, complete with just the slightest tinge of sarcasm.

Nicol was secretly hoping for Athrun to be in Spitbreak. In combat, he liked to hang around Athrun. Also, he wanted to help make sure that the older teen returned after the mission, unlike the last time. He still felt bad that he had left Athrun behind.

By now, Dearka and Yzak had largely gotten Athrun out of their minds. Their main concern now was to do well in Spitbreak. They knew that the commander will be watching them.

As for Rau, his smile grew wider when he thought about his plans for the operation. The 3 pilots, and the rest of ZAFT, will be in for some major shocks, he told himself...

"What," exclaimed Murrue Ramius.

"Those are orders from Headquarters, Captain. Ensign Badgiruel, Lieutenant Commander La Flaga and Flay Allster will be transfered from the Archangel," said the officer impatiently. He had better things to do than entertain any business on official transfer orders.

Murrue decided to let it go. Since the orders came from the top, it is unlikely that she can reverse them. By now, the individuals mentioned had already received word that they are leaving the Archangel. None had liked the news, especially Flay, whose questioning of the order got on the officer's nerves. After she was left alone, she decided to tell Kira about her transfer.

"I guess there's nothing we can do," said Kira sadly. Birdy, perched on Kira's shoulder, looked at its master blankly.

"Promise me you'll wait for me." said Flay.

"I will," replied the boy as he gave Flay a hug.

Natarle knew that it was time for her to pay Colonel Sutherland a visit...

"Come in." Sutherland was going over some documents needed for the Archangel personnel transfer. He was surprised to see one of those involved standing before him now.

Natarle saluted the colonel. She then got straight to the point. 

"Sir, I request to remain on board the Archangel."

"Oh? Give me one good reason why I should allow that."

"Sir, I'll keep an eye on Captain Ramius and Kira Yamato."

Sutherland sat up. This was an interesting development. He kicked himself for not thinking that Ramius may have been influenced by the Coordinator. If not checked, she may even stage a mutiny and hand the Archangel over to a third side.

"Very well, Ensign Badgiruel. You shall remain on board. If there's anything suspicious, let me know." To emphasize his point, he tore up Natarle's transfer papers.

"Thank you, Sir. May I have another request?"

"What is it?" Sutherland was curious about what the ensign wanted.

"Sir, can you let the Strike remain on board the Archangel?"

Sutherland thought about the idea. He didn't like the sound of their MS in the hands of a Coordinator; on the other hand, that's what the ensign was for: making sure that the Coordinator and the captain didn't try anything funny.

"The Strike can remain on board the Archangel, but the Aegis WILL accompany La Flaga to California." The colonel didn't mind the Aegis leaving the battlefield. He never thought of the G weapons as a decisive force in the field. Also, the Hawk did earn the right to take it along with him.

Natarle secretly heaved a sigh of relief. At least the Strike will be with the Archangel. She knew that the Aegis was less useful on Earth due to its inability to fly in MS mode. As for her added duties, Natarle didn't think much about them. Given her nature, Murrue wouldn't betray the EAF. For now, Natarle was just glad that she was back with the team.

"To make sure that your words carry more weight, Ensign, I've decided to promote you to Lieutenant J.G.." Colonel Sutherland's words jolted Natarle out of her thoughts. The colonel is really serious about using me as a watchdog, thought Natarle. As if to confirm that, the colonel continued, "I'll be making Arnold Newmann an Ensign as well. Being the pilot of the ship, it's best that you maintain good relations with him as a fellow officer. You never know when you'll have to use his expertise to get the Archangel back to the EAF."

The blatant mistrust of the colonel towards Murrue was getting on Natarle's nerves. The lady held her tongue, but the seeds of doubt had already been sowed.  
Athrun was trying hard to concentrate. But, somehow, watching his fiancee performing on stage was a lot harder that trying out the Justice in a test run. He was falling asleep, just like the time during Nicol's piano recital. The only difference was that being in the front row seats with the rabid fans meant that he was given a hard knock from behind to wake him up. He turned around but couldn't spot the offender. He then focused his attention on the songs Lacus was singing. Besides her looks, her voice is definitely different, even for average Coordinators, thought Athrun.

Finally, the concert came to an end. Although Athrun had enjoyed himself, he just wasn't used to attending such functions. And with Spitbreak coming up, he knew that his break was about to end. But, everything had gone well: He's well rested and prepared for combat, and his relationship with Lacus was vastly better than before. He decided to wait outside the hall; those fans would surely crowd around Lacus like bees attracted to honey.

By the road, the teen stood waiting beside the sedan. When the Songstress finally emerged from the hall, she was swamped by throngs of teenagers. Athrun never worried about her safety; her bodyguards were more than competent to protect her, since they were choosen by Siegel himself from the best of the green shirts. The lady walked up to him. She smiled at Athrun.

"Miss Lacus, who's this guy," someone in the crowd shouted.

"He is Athrun Zala, my fiance," replied Lacus, and before Athrun knew it, the Pink Princess planted a kiss on his cheek. The crowd went wild instantly. Recovering from his surprise, he opened the door for Lacus.

As the couple got into the car, Lacus noticed Athrun's blushing. After the sedan moved off, Lacus decided to get his mind off the incident by talking about his departure for Spitbreak. Athrun couldn't tell her anything about the details. But he assured Lacus that he will be alright.

"Don't forget what I'll be piloting," said Athrun with a sense of pride. The Justice stood for his ideals: to seek redress for his mother's death and to defend the rights of all Coordinators. In a weird way, he wondered what Kira would say if he was given a chance to pilot the Freedom. Lacus wasn't really worried about Athrun. She had faith in him, and just needed to talk to him. This is the man I'll marry, she thought. The wedding, she hoped, would be held after the war, after peace and equality had returned to the Cosmic Era. Afterthoughts

-Please RnR! 


	6. Spitbreak

Murrue Ramius was a little restless. Though it was only morning, she wished that the day had already been over. Her first mate, along with 2 other crew members, was going to leave the Archangel. Dressed in her best uniform, she stood at the exit to bid them farewell. Some members of the official crew were also there to see them off. 

The first to leave was La Flaga. He had a gym bag with him, but in line with his easy-going attitude, he wore his cap in a slipshod manner. Despite a tinge of sadness, Murre couldn't resist a little teasing. After all, it may be the last time they see each other.

"Surely, you can wear a cap in a manner befitting an EAF officer, can't you?"

La Flaga grinned. If Ramius is doing the teasing instead of him, she should be fine.

"I was waiting for you to give it a little adjustment, Captain."

Murrue helped the Hawk to wear his cap properly. La Flaga shook her hand warmly.

"Good luck to you and the Archangel. Oh, and help me look after Skinny."

Ramius smiled weakly as the Hawk left the ship. As he walked towards the transport ship he was assigned to, La Flaga thought about his time with the Archangel. Though he tried to hide it beneath his wisecracks and teasing, he had grown fond of Kira and Murrue. The Archangel was an unexpected pit stop in his career, but he had enjoyed his time there, despite all the trouble the ship had gotten itself into...

Flay was approaching the exit together with Kira and Birdy. The girl resolved not to cry. After all, it wasn't as if they would never see each other again. She held on tighter to Kira's hand. She hoped that Kira would make it through the war in one piece.

Kira, on the other hand, was sad to see Flay go. Just as they normalised their relationship, she had to leave. But, he had promised to wait for her and he intend to keep that promise...

The captain was waiting by the exit. Despite the troubles she had caused, Murrue had been patient with her.

"Thank you, Captain, for everything."

"You take care as well." Murrue shook the lady's hand. Flay then gave Kira a hug before leaving. The teen then blinked back his tears as Flay walked away. Unknown to him, the girl was also sobbing silently...

As Natarle approached the group, Murrue realised that the lady wasn't carrying anything. Before Murrue could say anything, the first mate stood to attention and saluted her.

"I've requested to remain on board without prior permission from you, Captain."

This was an unexpected turn of events. Murrue quickly returned the salute.

"It's my pleasure to have you as my first mate again, Ensign."

"Actually, it's Lieutenant, Captain. But don't worry. It's not a double promotion," deadpanned Natarle.

Murrue shook her hand and congratulated her.

'Also, Ensign Newmann has been promoted as well. Colonel Sutherland was pleased by his performance in getting the Archangel here."

Arnold was surprised by this news. He quickly saluted Natarle as well.

"With 2 promotions and Lieutenant Badgiruel's return on board, I think we should have a celebration," declared Ramius.

Cheers of approval sounded from the group. La Flaga's (and to a lesser extent, Flay's) departure had dampened their spirits; they needed something to celebrate. Kira looked at Natarle. Although he didn't like the lady much, still, he's happy for her.

Natarle caught Kira looking at her. She smiled thinly. After all, the rest of the crew mustn't know the real reason why she remained on board the Archangel. That meant that she had to be friendly towards Kira and Murrue. Now to think about it, she was now regarding Kira more as a comrade and possibly, a friend, and less as a Coordinator whom had to be watched...

Athrun had already suited up for Spitbreak. As he will not be a part of any attacking squadron, his father had allowed him free rein in the upcoming mission, so long as "you get the job done".

The pilot thought of his father's words. He wanted to prove himself worthy of piloting the Justice, especially after his capture. He took a deep breath. Showtime, he thought to himself...

Dearka, Yzak and Nicol were on board a ZAFT transport ship. Unlike Athrun, they had no idea that Spitbreak's real target was JOSH-A. For now, the trio were getting ready for their attack on Panama. The Buster, Duel and the Blitz were getting their final checks. The 3 red coats knew that if ZAFT emerged victorous, not only would the EAF be severely weakened, their commander's confidence in them would increase as well.

The crew of the Archangel were at the mess hall having their celebration when the alarm went off. Everyone scrambled back to their posts. Murrue asked for an update of the situation.

"Captain, HQ said that ZAFT is sending an attack force here. Looks like a big one," replied Chandra.

Murrue was shocked. How did ZAFT managed to find enough troops to assault JOSH-A? Unless...

"Captain, HQ has ordered us to take up our positions!"

"Go to battle stations!" Natarle was determined to make up for Murrue's shortcomings. She was better than her captain when it comes to handling the stress of giving commands in battle. Also, this was her first battle after her promotion; she didn't want to screw it up.

Kira got into the Strike. Though Colonel Sutherland had shook his faith in the EAF, he remembered why he had entered the war in the first place: to ensure the survival of his friends. Now, he added a new reason: the Archangel and its crew. Murrue had earned his respect, and with La Flaga gone, he would become the one the crew looked to for help. He swore that he would not disappoint them. 

As with everyone else, the Le Creuset team was surprised when Patrick Zala announced that the target of Spitbreak had been changed to Alaska. But the trio quickly got over it. Suddenly, Dearka remembered something.

"Hey, wasn't the Archangel heading there after escaping from us at Orb?"

Yzak bristled. Fate had scheduled his rematch with the Strike. The pilot clenched his fists.

Almost immediatly, Dearka regretted his remainder. Yzak had barely gotten the Strike's pilot out of his mind. Now, his big mouth had to remind his friend of the feud.

"Yzak, our mission is to take down JOSH-A, not the Archangel."

"I know!" Although Yzak acknowledged that fact, he knew that he would lose control if he ever saw the Strike in the battlefield. 

Nicol didn't want to fight the Strike or the Archangel. Besides Dearka's words, he's also not in a hurry to challenge Athrun's friend. After seeing what the enemy MS could do, the teen thought that it would be best to stay out of the Strike's way.

After Le Creuset's activation of the Cyclops system...

La Flaga couldn't believe the mess he was in. Not only was the whole place in chaos, Le Creuset had set off the Cyclops system underneath JOSH-A. If the combatants were not warned, all of them would be toasted to a crisp when the system activates.

He quickly ran to the hangar where the Aegis was kept. Along the way, he had to yell at a dazed soldier to get him back on his feet and call for help. Fortunately, the Aegis was in its mobile armour form. The hangar door had already been busted by ZAFT troops. La Flaga took off at once, but not before shooting a GINN which had appeared in front of the Aegis. He shouted into the intercom.

"Archangel! Archangel! Do you copy?"

"Lt. Commander La Flaga, is that you," replied Dalida.

"Chandra! Relay what I have to say to everyone on the Archangel's bridge! The Cyclops system has been activated. I repeat: the Cyclops system has been activated!"

Everyone on the bridge gasped when they heard La Flaga's words. Natarle was especially affected. How could the senior command of JOSH-A do this? 

Murrue acted quickly. Kira and Tolle had to be warned about this.

"Archangel to Strike and Skygrasper-1! The Cyclops system has been activated! The Archangel will now move beyond the 10km radius of the blast zone! Meet us there!"

Kira and Tolle couldn't believe their ears. Here they are, fighting ZAFT troops and the base has to set off its self- destruct device? To add to the troubles, Kira had noticed a new MS on ZAFT's side. It tore through the EAF's ships and mobile armours like a hot knife through butter. Instinctively, he knew that it was Athrun. Besides his unwillingness to fight his best friend, Kira knew that the Strike would be outmatched by the new MS.

Tolle, on the other hand, had a hard time simply evading the attacks on him. He was then grateful for all the long hours he had spent on the simulator. Still, the absence of La Flaga meant that he shouldered a heavier responsibility in supplying the Strike and helping out the Archangel. The news of the Cyclops system's activation didn't help either. He prayed that he would survive this battle.

The Le Crueset team had been amazed when the Justice began its attack. As they observed the MS, the trio had little doubt that it was their former team mate piloting it. Nicol was excited.

"Athrun! Is that you," he shouted into the intercom.

"It's nice hearing your voice again, Nicol. So, when can I hear your recitals on the piano again," teased Athrun.

"After this battle, I promise!" With that, the Blitz resumed its attacks on the EAF forces.

Athrun had already spotted the Archangel and the Strike. But he didn't want a fight with them. His mission was to take down JOSH-A. Despite his personality, he was getting a little high. The Justice was a MS pilot's dream come true...

Dearka and Yzak had their hands full too. After all, this IS the EAF's main headquarters. After cutting through several squadrons of EAF troops, the platinum-blond pilot saw the Archangel... and the STRIKE. The Duel headed towards the ship. Dearka cursed as he steered the Buster to support his friend.

Kira saw the Duel and the Buster coming towards him. The Strike was about to engage them when suddenly, a multi-phase beam cannon was fired at them. The two Suits avoided the beam, but all 3 pilots knew what the newcomer was.

"Yo, Skinny! Thought you might need a little help," said La Flaga over the intercom.

"Lt. Commander, we have to shake them! The place's about to blow," replied Kira.

La Flaga didn't have to be reminded that a large part of both sides' forces were still in the blast zone. Time is running out...

Kira decided to do something drastic. He switched his radio to an open frequency.

"This is the Strike's pilot, Kira Yamato! The Cyclops system underneath JOSH-A has been activated. I urge everyone to stop fighting and retreat to beyond a 10km radius of the base!" The teen then repeated his words in a firm voice.

Yzak dismissed Kira's words as rubbish. The Duel was about to attack when the Buster suddenly turned around.

"Dearka! What the heck are you doing," blasted Yzak.

"Sorry, my friend. I may not like the Strike but I'm not sticking around to see if the place really blows up."

Yzak was going to explode but without the Buster's help, the Duel would have a hard time with the Strike. Reluctantly, the Duel followed the Buster as it retreated.

Athrun heard Kira's words. He knew that Kira would never lie about such things. Still, for ZAFT to retreat, he'll have to confirm the threat and thus, help convince his side. Athrun hailed the Strike.

"This is the Justice's pilot, Athrun Zala. Kira Yamato, do you stand by your words that the base is going to self destruct?"

Kira realised what his best friend was up to. If Athrun could convince ZAFT to withdraw, more lives would be saved. He decided to play along.

"I do," he replied.

"Very well. All ZAFT forces, this is Athrun Zala, son of PLANT Supreme Council Chairman Zala. I advise all of you to heed the enemy pilot's warning and withdraw." After repeating himself, he added, "But, if this turns out to be a lie, Kira Yamato, I will personally sink the Archangel and destroy the Strike."

Kira believed him. This Justice was a lot better than the Aegis. Judging from its performance so far, the Strike wouldn't even last 5 minutes against it... Snapping out of his daze, he quickly locked on to the Archangel's coordinates and returned to the ship.

Upon Athrun's urging, ZAFT began its retreat. Although Rau Le Creuset was a little disappointed, he didn't worry too much. Besides, it's already too late for those who were already within JOSH-A. He returned his thoughts to the Natural girl he had captured. This little lady would be useful for sneaking ZAFT technology to the EAF, he mused...

When the countdown ended, the Cyclops array activated. Those who were too slow to escape were fried by the microwaves emitted. But, thanks to Kira's and Athrun's warnings, the casualties were reduced. The EAF troops (which had been mostly from the Eurasian Federation) wasted no time in pulling out of the blast zone...

The Le Creuset team and their ship retreated safely. Dearka heaved a sigh of relief. Yzak was still fuming at letting the Strike go but he also realised that the teen who had given him his scar had saved his life today. As for Nicol, he never doubted Kira's words. If Kira was Athrun's best friend, Nicol figured that he could trust him, despite the fact that they are on opposing sides.

On board the Archangel, Murrue was thinking very hard. After this incident, she had lost faith in the EAF. But being the captain of a ship also meant that she had to take her crew's feelings into consideration. If the Archangel deserts the EAF, she couldn't imagine what Natarle would say.

The first mate, on the other hand, rethought about her allegiance to the military. She had the sickening feeling that she had become a pawn of Sutherland, who could be casually discarded and replaced. She wondered what Murrue would do next...

As he headed back to the PLANTs, Athrun had only one question in mind: Which bastard could have ordered the invasion without letting the troops know about the Cyclops array? He ruled out his father immediatly. The next person in his mind made him break out in cold sweat. Perhaps beneath his mask, Le Creuset did have another side to his charming exterior... Afterthoughts

-Please RnR!

-Parts not mentioned follow the original series, i.e. Flay being captured by Le Creuset. 


	7. The minds of friends think alike

Note: Don't own anything here.

"How many men did we lose," asked the Chairman.

"Sir, we lost about 48 of our entire force stationed on Earth," answered the secretary timidly. She knew that her boss was in a foul mood. The atmosphere in the office was more frosty than usual. She wondered when the man would start his tirade.

Patrick Zala sighed. The figures were better than what he had expected. He had heard his son's words in the battlefield, and was proud that Athrun had helped cut down ZAFT's losses. But still, nearly half of the Earth force was gone; more importantly, who had leaked the plans of the invasion to the EAF? He was deep in thought when a knock came on the door.

"Come in," said Patrick in an even tone. His secretary heaved a sigh of relief. Looks like the weather's still clear, she thought.

Athrun Zala, in his redcoat, entered his father's office. After the customary salute, he got straight to the point.

"Chairman, could I have a word with you in private?"

Patrick gave the lady a look. She got the hint and discreetly left the office.

"what is it, Athrun?"

"Father, I believe that Rau Le Creuset was the mole who sold us out."

Le Creuset? Patrick was surprised that Athrun had laid such an accusation on his best commander. True, he's the only other person who knew that JOSH-A was the real target, but...

"Athrun, I stand by Commander Le Creuset. A dedicated person like him couldn't be a traitor."

"But..."

"That will be all." It's clear that his father's faith in Le Creuset was unshakable. Athrun decided to let it go, for now. Besides, he knew of another person whom he could turn to...

The Archangel was heading south, but exactly where she was going, no one knew for certain. Even her captain was at a loss. The officers had gathered on the bridge to discuss their next move. The troops from the Eurasian Federation were either killed or had fled elsewhere, and the ship was now alone.

La Flaga spoke first. The man was not in favour of returning to the EAF and he was determined to have his views heard.  
"Let's face it: we got sold out back there. I think the Archangel should break away."

To his surprise, no one raised any violent objections to his suggestion. Even Natarle was silent.

Ramius made up her mind.

"If that's the case, I hereby declare that the Archangel is now no longer a part of the EAF. For want of a better word, this ship is now a rogue ship."

Everyone on the bridge gasped. Though Kira and La Flaga, along with many members of the crew, knew that Murrue was unhappy about the way she was treated at the inquiry, they didn't believe that she would actually stage a mutiny like this.

"But, Captain, this is an act of treason," said Natarle. Despite herself, her voice came across as a rather timid one.

Murrue knew that her first mate was still loyal to the EAF. But the weak voice told the captain that her first mate was also uncertain about the future. Murrue gave Natarle a hard look.

"Natarle, the EAF betrayed us at JOSH-A. Do you wish that to happen again? And don't give me any crap about the military using us as bait or something like that." In that instant, all the abuse that Sutherland had hurled at Murrue during the inquiry came back to her.

"Captain, if we're now a rogue ship, why don't we head to Orb? After all, it'll only be a matter of time before either the Earth Alliance or ZAFT eye the union for its resources." Kira was worried about Cagalli and his parents. Also, many of the crew's families were living there. He was sure that they would want to help defend the ones they loved.

"Good idea, Kira. Arnold, set the course for Orb." The pilot quickly saw to the command.

"But, will Lord Uzumi welcome us?" Natarle knew that the ruler of Orb maintained the union's neutrality zealously. Even if the Archangel was to show up at Orb as a neutral vessel, she's not sure how the Lion would view the ship.

Murrue smiled grimly. It's a chance they would have to take...

At the Clyne residence, Athrun was again swarmed by Lacus's Haros the moment he entered the manor. The robo-pets were chatting non-stop when the Songstress emerged from the kitchen with a tray of foodstuffs. She was a little surprised to see her fiance. Athrun was usually busy during this part of the day.

"I have something to discuss with your father," explained Athrun.

"Lacus, who's the visitor," called Siegel from the second floor.

"Father, it's Athrun. He wants to see you."

"Tell him to come to the study. You may sit in if you wished to."

Athrun was a little uncomfortable with that. Matters concerning national security shouldn't be discussed in her presence, thought the teen.

In the study, Siegel asked the couple to take their seats. Athrun then asked for Lacus to be excused.

"It's about Rau Le Creuset, Uncle Siegel."

"Oh, is that so," said Siegel Clyne. Although he had been kept in the dark by Patrick about the true nature of Spitbreak, what Athrun was about to tell him now clearly deserved his full attention. To Athrun's surprise, Siegel didn't ask his daughter to leave.

"Lacus's a lot more mature than you think, young man," said Siegel with a thin smile.

Athrun then decided that letting Lacus know about the masked commander's possible treachery may not be such a big deal after all. He told the Clynes about what had happened at Spitbreak.

"Is what you had just told me the truth," asked Siegel. Lacus had a grim expression on her face. It was the first time Athrun have ever seen her so sad. Then again, the anger he sensed from the Pink Princess was also another first.

Athrun nodded. Since the now ex-Chairman Clyne had asked him to watch out for Le Creuset, this turn of events shouldn't have given him much of a shock. Still, the former chairman was clearly disturbed by this piece of information.

Siegel thought hard. Rau Le Creuset was manipulating his friend, and he knew it. A plan was formulating in his mind. If it was pulled off successfully, Le Creuest could be effectively restrained, but it involved Patrick's honour and he wasn't sure that the younger Zala would be willing to do it.

"Athrun, we have a ship which was newly constructed. It's of the new Eternal-class," began Siegel. Though no longer active in politics, Patrick still shared many military details with Siegel.

The teen couldn't understand how that concerned Le Creuset. New ship classes were not exactly his interest.

"You father wished for this ship, along with Freedom, to be under the command of his personal guard. And I have also given him the same advice."

"Uncle Siegel, with my father's blind faith in Le Creuset..."

"Here's my plan. I want you to steal the ship, together with Freedom."

Athrun gave the idea a thought. If he stole the Eternal and the Freedom, that would mean that his father... Siegel saw the look on the young man's face. He knew that an explanation was in order.

"If we want to stop Le Creuset, your father's influence would have to be cut back. And this incident of theft would be just the thing."

"But..." Athrun was worried about his father. The shame of having a traitor for a son might drive him to do some crazy things.

"Don't worry. I'll keep an eye on him. Also, I would help see to it that he is not replaced as chairman of the Supreme Council." With that, he explained to Athrun the purpose of the whole thing. To check Le Crueset's influence, Patrick would have to be reduced to a mere figurehead, with little trust from anyone else. If Patrick was replaced, Le Crueset would simply manipulate the successor into doing his bidding again.

Athrun didn't like the plan at all. But he knew that if it's carried out, Le Creuset would be left without a powerful backer. But he still couldn't figure out how LACUS fitted into all this.

Siegel looked at her daughter when the boy asked the question. He explained to Athrun that a little acting would be in order. But first, he would have to get another important person to join in the discussion. He picked up his phone.

"Andrew, could you come over to my residence now?"

While waiting for Andrew, Siegel told the couple what he had in mind. At the end of it, Athrun agreed to the deed, but not before Siegel's repeated reassurances that his father would be taken care of. Also, Lacus stated that she wouldn't mind her part in the charade. Then, someone knocked on the door.

"Come in."

A tall, dark-skinned man walked into the study. When Athrun saw him, he was a little shocked to see the man's scar down his left eye. The stranger took a seat beside them.

"Athrun, meet the Desert Tiger, Andrew Waltfeld. He's one of the best commanders ZAFT has ever seen," introduced Siegel.

"He knows Kira, too," said Lacus suddenly.

Athrun's eyes nearly popped out of his sockets. He looked at Siegel, who nodded to indicate that he, too, knew about his friend in the EAF. The young man looked down at the floor.

"You're lucky to have a good friend in Kira. That boy's really a kind-hearted fellow, although he was the one who gave me this," said Andrew, pointing to his eye. Athrun gulped. First, it was Yzak. Now, even this man was scarred by Kira?

"Andrew is the captain of the Eternal. Although he didn't like the idea of being under your father, he accepted the assignment upon my request. He's also the assigned pilot of Freedom."

"Chairman Zala is letting that masked man getting the better of him. So, Chairman Clyne wants me to make sure that the Eternal is not used for any fishy business. As for the Freedom, looking at it reminds me of Kira," added Andrew in a serious tone. Although Siegel was no longer the chairman, Andrew clearly believed that he should have remained in his position instead of passing it on to Zala. As for Kira, the Tiger bore no hard feelings towards the boy. Somehow, despite losing 2 limbs, an eye and his love, the ideals which Kira fought for made Andrew respect him instead of hating him for what he had done. 

"Andrew, would your men be ready to take over the Eternal within a short notice?"

"What do you mean, Chairman?" Siegel explained the plan to the Tiger. Andrew then had a smile on his face.

"Don't worry. I'll get Martin and the rest on board that ship. The moment you are ready to go, young man, we'll move out. Of course, Miss Lacus here would have to endure a little pain."

"It's alright. What's a little pain if that masked fiend no longer gets his way," replied Lacus.

Athrun felt a little overwhelmed. The success of the whole plan depended on him, and his acting. Still, he would do anything to stop Le Creuset from getting his way. He steeled himself for the things to come...

The next day, Andrew took his crew on board the Eternal for some drills. For "training" purposes, the METEOR units were also loaded on board. According to the plan, Athrun sought permission from Patrick to move the Justice on board the ship. After all, he was a part of the personal guard and he had heard of the Tiger's name, and wished to learn more from him. Patrick agreed to the request. Athrun smiled. So far, so good, he thought.

"Captain, can't we rest for a while? These procedures are getting boring!"

Martin Da Costa shook his head silently. Since his return from the desert, his commander had become softer on the men, not least because he wasn't as physically robust as he used to. The prostetics still needed getting used to, and Andrew missed Aisha. Nevertheless, the band of desert warriors respected the Tiger. Although they teased him, Andrew could count on them any time.

"Well, you guys better know them by heart. Who knows, you might need to use them sooner than you think," retorted Andrew.

Martin couldn't resist a little smile. Andrew had already told him of the plan. Of everyone on board, only the 2 knew what was going to happen...

"Captain, the Justice is going to be loaded on board the ship!"

"Good! You all can now practise your loading drills for MSes. Come on, get going!" 

After the loading, Athrun made his way to the Clyne residence. Here comes the hard part, thought the pilot.

"Ah, Young Master Zala. You're early today," said the servant who opened the door. Athrun acknowledged the greeting. He hoped that Lacus would be in her room. As it turned out, she was in the living room, playing with a Haro in her hands. Looks like it's plan B then, thought the pilot.

"Oh, it's you. Navy, say hello to Athrun."

"Haro! Athrun!"

Athrun smiled at the Haro. He then pulled out a revolver from his coat and pointed it at his fiancee. Everyone in the area froze. The Haro leapt from Lacus's hand onto the floor, still blabbering away.

"No one tries anything funny, and Lacus will not be harmed." To emphasize his point, the pilot cocked the lever of the pistol.

"What's going on here," asked Siegel Clyne as he emerged from a room. His face changed when he saw the sight before him.

"Athrun! What are you doing?"

"I'm sorry, Uncle Siegel. I need Lacus as a hostage," said Athrun in an even tone. He then hit the back of Lacus's neck. The Songstress was knocked out cold.

"Get some rope or tape, anything to bind her limbs and seal her mouth," ordered Athrun. The servants quickly scrambled to find the items. 

Siegel knew that he had to keep up the act. But seeing Lacus unconscious was hard on him as a father. He prayed that the couple would be fine.

After the Pink Princess had been bound and gagged, Athrun got the servants to put her in the boot of his car. Before he got into the vehicle, he told Siegel,"Tell my father that I'll return with Lacus if he drops Rau Le Creuset from ZAFT." With that, he sped off.

"What do we do now, Sir," asked a maid anxiously.

"Give Chairman Zala a call right away! Tell him that his son has kidnapped my daughter!"

When Athrun drove to the base where the Eternal was docked, he appeared normal enough to fool the guards at the gates. Once inside, he headed straight for the ship. He asked for the captain to allow him to drive the car into the ship's hangar. A little surprised at this request (or so he appeared), Andrew went to the hangar to see Athrun.

"Athrun, why would you want to drive your car onto the Eternal?"

"You're going to order this ship to take off now, Captain."

"Why should I do that?"

"Take a look at this," said Athrun as he opened the boot just a little bit. The sight of Lacus bound, gagged and out cold was enough to spook him out. He turned to Da Costa.

"Martin, tell the crew to take this ship for a little spin." When he got next to his second-in-charge, he whispered, "This kid is holding Lacus Clyne hostage."

Martin knew that it was time to get the show on the road. Back on the bridge, he ordered the men to get serious and be prepared to launch the ship. When they realised that he wasn't joking, they quickly followed their orders...

"What!" Patrick Zala felt as if he had been shot. His son actually kidnapped his fiancee in the presence of her father? It sounded ridiculous, but it was the truth. Quickly, he sounded the alarm for ZAFT to hunt down Athrun. But it was too late. The teen was nowhere to be found.  
Just then, the report came to him. The Eternal had been launched. The Chairman immediately gave orders to chase after the ship.

On board the Eternal, Andrew told his men the whole story. All of them were supporters of Siegel and therefore had no complaints whatsoever. Another criterion Andrew used to choose them was their martial and family status. All the men were single and their families were small or non-existent; the Tiger knew that all of them would become renegades if they come on board the ship. 

"Now, I know why we needed to load so much supplies for this 'training' exercise," wisecracked a member of the crew. Andrew and Martin grinned at each other.

Athrun had taken Lacus out of the boot the moment the Eternal took off. He tore the tape off her mouth, but he didn't untie her. That would have to wait, until he had spoken with the pursuers who were bound to come. Sure enough...

"Hailing the Eternal. We are looking for the fugitive Athrun Zala. Is he on board," asked an officer who was the leader of the group of 3 Nazca-class destroyers. Zala must be getting worked up now, thought Andrew. 

"I am here," said Athrun as he stood before the video intercom, with Lacus in tow. The lady was still unconscious.

"Athrun Zala, you are hereby under arrest for kidnapping Lacus Clyne, the theft of the Justice MS, and coercing the crew of the Eternal. Surrender yourself at once!"

"And what if I don't? Put my father through the intercom. I want to speak with him," replied Athrun coldly. Andrew was a little surprised at the teen's tone. He must have some genuine grievances, thought the Tiger; if not, the kid's acting was better than any professional he had ever seen.  
After a short while, Patrick Zala came on the intercom. He was visibly agitated.

"Athrun! What is the meaning of this!"

"Simple, Father. If you agree to strip Rau Le Creuset of all his powers, I'll return with Lacus. If not, she's staying here with me."

"That's absolutely out of the question!" 

"Very well, Chairman. Lacus Clyne shall remain in my hands until you change your mind."

"Captain Waltfeld! Get the Eternal back to Aprilius One at once," ordered Patrick in a huff.

"Do that, Captain, and you can return Miss Clyne's body to her father as well." Athrun Zala pointed the pistol at his fiancee's temple.

"I'm sorry, Chairman. I'll not risk a civilian's life like that. In fact, given half a chance, I would have already taken the ship back. The only problem is... your son had never taken his gun off Miss Clyne."

Patrick went cold when he heard Andrew. Was the teen holding a lady and the entire crew of a ship hostage really the son he knew?

"Why," asked Patrick quietly. He suddenly felt very tired.

"You dare to ask me why," said Athrun bitterly. In his mind, he was close to tears.

"Which father would rather trust a stranger in a mask instead of his own son? Which father would use his son as a tool to further his own ambitions?" said Athrun with the same bitter tone.  
He was sick of having to care about his father's reputation all the time. With his mother gone, he wanted his father to confide in him, just like any average father-son relationship. He wished that he was just an average 15-year-old, not an elite pilot of ZAFT. But the teen kept his nerve; now was not the time to despair.

Andrew sensed that both parties were now emotionally drained. He decided to suggest a "solution" to the Chairman.

"Sir, if you don't mind, I'll help keep an eye on the fugitive and the hostage. The crew would persuade him to turn himself in."

Patrick sighed. It seemed the best course of action for now.

"Very well, Captain. As for you," said Patrick, directing his gaze at Athrun, "even if you return, you are no longer my son." The intercom went dead and the group of destroyers retreated.

Andrew looked at the boy. Athrun had sacrificed his own reputation and shamed his father, all in a quest to deter Rau Le Creuset. He felt sorry for the redcoat. But there's no turning back now.

"You've any idea where we should be going next," asked Andrew quietly.

"Head for Orb." Athrun was hoping that the neutral union would allow him to enter their territories. He wanted to see Cagalli too. The plucky girl would be able to understand his troubles, he thought. Looking at a still-sleeping Lacus, the boy decided that he would not burden his fiancee with his woes.

Andrew nodded in agreement. The Orb union would be their best chance of finding safety anywhere. He ordered the crew to set a course for the country of peace.

Afterthoughts

-Please RnR! 


	8. Reunion

Note: Don't own anything here

"I hope you know what you're doing," mused La Flaga to Ramius as the Archangel pulled up near Orb's territorial waters. The rest of the crew were also nervous; if the union did not allow them to enter, they would be in some serious trouble.

After the challenge had been issued, the troops on duty were a little unsure of what to do with the ship that had unexpectedly shown up at their waters. The captain's reply was unlike any they had ever heard before. The officer in charge decided to give Lord Homura a call.

"It seems we have a small problem," said Homura to his brother after he had received the message.

Lord Uzumi was a little surprised. Nothing good ever comes out of such disruptions to the daily routine. The Representative briefed his brother on the situation.

"You're saying that the Archangel is now a renegade ship and wishes to enter Orb?" Homura nodded.

Uzumi had kept track of the war between the EAF and ZAFT. The attack on JOSH-A had been devastating to both sides, and now, the Archangel wishes to seek asylum here. The lord sighed...

Upon reaching the command post, the lords were briefed by the officer again. Uzumi then spoke into the intercom.

"This is Lord Uzumi Nara Athha of the Orb Union. I understand that the Archangel wishes to seek asylum within the union. Is that correct, Captain Murrue Ramius?"

"That's correct, Sir. We'll explain further if you allow us entry into the country," answered Murrue in a firm voice.

"The other lords will not like this," reminded Homura.

"Oh, they will, Homura. What I have in mind for this ship is going to please them," said Uzumi with a smile on his bearded face. He turned to the officer.

"Allow the Archangel to dock at Onogoro. After they have settled down, tell them to meet Representative Homura."

"Well, that was easy enough," wisecracked La Flaga. But both Murrue and Natarle knew that things would not be so simple. The Lion of Orb would do almost anything to keep war out of his country. The fact that he had allowed the ship to enter could only mean that the favours he would ask for in return would almost certainly be big ones.

The officers were notified of their appointment with Representative Homura, and subsequently led to his office. Along the way, they were escorted by armed guards. Kira was unhappy with this arrangement, but he understood the fact that they were not exactly welcomed here in Orb...

The officers saluted the two lords. Uzumi began by asking Murrue for her reasons to take the Archangel here. In a calm voice, the captain recalled the events during the battle at JOSH-A. Uzumi was surprised by the decision of the EAF top brass to activate the self-destruct device.

"Sir, there's another fact which you might be interested in: Most of the troops at JOSH-A were from the Eurasian Federation." Natarle stared at her captain. Murrue had revealed military secrets to a third party. Even if they were to return to the EAF, their lives would be forfeit. 

Uzumi analyzed this piece of information. The Eurasians were the reasonable ones in the Earth Alliance. If their numbers had been depleted, the Atlantic Federation would replace them as the voice of EA. That did not go down well with him. He knew that the Atlantic Federation was full of members of the Blue Cosmos. He thought of them as a bunch of mad men who would do anything to get their way.

"Homura, be sure to discuss an increase in our armed forces at the next meeting."

As his brother acknowledged the suggestion, Mu La Flaga couldn't help himself.

"So, the country of peace is preparing for war, eh?"

Everyone glared at the man, except Uzumi. He sighed.

"After hearing from your captain, it would seem that the EA will now take a harder stand against ZAFT. War will be upon us, whether we like it or not. It'll be in our interests to start preparing now." He thought for a while before continuing.

"Since many of you have families here, I would grant permission to leave the ship. As of now, all of you are part of the Orb military."

"Wait a minute," began Natarle. Murrue signalled her first mate not to interrupt. The questions would have to be asked (and answered) later.

"As for the uniforms, be sure to change out of them before leaving the ship. After all, you are no longer part of the EAF."

The crew acknowledged the orders. Uzumi turned towards Kira. The teen was a little overwhelmed by the man's stare.

"Kira Yamato, you will remain here after I've dismissed the rest."

"Yes, Sir."

"Captain Ramius, be sure to execute the orders which I have given to you," reminded Uzumi. Murrue saluted the Lion before leading the rest of the officers out of the room. The Lion turned his attention to Kira.

The teen had an idea of what Uzumi wanted from him. He would most likely have to help Erica Simmons with the development of MSes and suitable OSes for them. But the lord had something else in store for him.

"Would you like to see Cagalli?" The girl had missed Kira and despite her reassurances, the father was a little worried. Perhaps a meeting would do the trick.

Kira nodded. He wondered what she would say if she knew of Athrun's little stay on board the Archangel...

"But first, the uniform," said Uzumi with a chuckle. Kira smiled at the reminder.

"Captain, aren't we supposed to be neutral? Isn't Orb a neutral side," questioned Natarle the moment they were on the bridge of the Archangel. Joining the Orb military was definitely not what she had in mind.

"We have no choice, Natarle. Also, you know what Lord Uzumi said just now is true. War will come here. When it does, what or whom will you fight for," asked Murrue in return. The first mate had no answer to that. Her mind was now in a whirl.

"You know what," said La Flaga as he entered the bridge. Unlike the ladies, he had went straight to the clothing stores to pick up his new uniform. The two looked at the pilot. Somehow, he looked better in his old uniform than in the new one, thought the captain.

"What," asked Murrue finally.

"I make this look good."

Uzumi took Kira to the underground factory where the teen had worked in the first time he arrived at Orb. The place had remained largely the same. Cagalli was there, observing the progress of the M1 Astray pilots. Uzumi called out to the girl. As she turned around, she was shocked to see Kira standing beside her father. She ran towards the pair.

"So, what are you doing here," asked Cagalli. She then noticed the Orb uniform on him.

"This is..."

"Kira, along with the Archangel, has defected to Orb. Apparently, the EAF left them to die during the attack on JOSH-A," said Uzumi. The girl stared at Kira.

Kira nodded. "They activated the base's self destruct system without warning us," he explained.

Cagalli was disgusted by the whole thing. But at the same time, she was glad that Kira was alright. She hugged the teen. Uzumi smiled.

"I'll leave you two to chat." With that, the lord took his leave. 

Cagalli then pestered Kira to tell her everything that had happened after he had left Orb. She was interested when he told her that Athrun had been captured and held on board the Archangel for a while. When Kira mentioned the conversation they had during the battle, she knew that her judgement hadn't been off the mark. 

"Athrun really is a good guy."

"Yes, he is. And after losing the Aegis to us, he has a new MS, the Justice."

"The name certainly suits him." Both teens laughed.

Later, on board the Eternal...

Lacus opened her eyes. She was lying on a bed in the quarters. Apart from a slight headache, she felt fine. The lady saw Athrun seated beside her. The boy had been by her side ever since the pursuers left. But there was only one thing she had in mind.

"Did we succeed?"

Athrun nodded. The Songstress smiled. She tried to get up.

"You should be resting," objected her fiance as he held on to her. The lady shook her head.

"I'm fine. Really." Athrun let go of the girl. The couple then headed for the bridge. Andrew was glad that Lacus had awakened. He was also pleased to inform them that they would be reaching Orb soon.

Siegel observed his friend as the two men discussed the crisis over cups of tea. After apologizing for Athrun, Patrick was still too stunned by the teen's actions to speak much of anything else. But Siegel knew that the older Zala would just have to bear with it. His purpose of the meeting was to pre-empt any attempts by Rau Le Creuset to badmouth Waltfeld and, by extension, himself. After all, it was him who had recommended Andrew to Patrick.

"I must warn you, Patrick. I wouldn't expect the Eternal to return any time soon."

"Why is that," asked the Chairman.

"Her captain, Andrew Waltfeld, is no fan of Commander Le Creuset. I fear that Athrun may have convinced him to join his cause."

This possibility was too much for Patrick to stomach. He thumped his fist on the table. After the anger had abated, he realised that Lacus might not be able to return safely. He needed to tell her father that in the course of subduing Athrun, Lacus might die. Siegel accepted the fact, but he had only one thing to say.

"If my daughter dies because of your son, Patrick, I'll have his head."

"You'll get it. Also, he's no longer my son," replied the Chairman.

In his mind, Siegel sighed. Patrick and his son have become enemies, and there is the chance that the truth may never be known to the father. But, the act must go on. He prayed that his friend would finally realise that Le Creuset was the cause of the troubles and remove him; given the masked commander's charm, it would be difficult for his prayer to be answered.

The border patrol was again busy. Within the short span of a few days, another ship had wanted to seek asylum in Orb. The officer sighed as he called Lord Homura again. (He was the officer on duty when the Archangel defected.) True, Orb was a neutral country, but was the war really going so bad that people from both sides were getting tired of it, he wondered.

Homura didn't like what he was hearing. At the meeting to discuss the Archangel's defection, his brother had justified his actions by pointing to the intelligence Ramius had given to him. He wondered if the captain of this ship would do the same. 

Upon preliminary questioning, it seemed that the crew had friends in Orb. Uzumi quickly got some men to gather these people and bring them to the office.

The last few days had been busy for every member of the Archangel's crew. Captain Ramius and her first mate had been quizzed by the other lords about everything they knew of the EAF. By now, Natarle was resigned to the fact that she was now a turncoat, and co-operated accordingly.

Besides answering his fair share of the questions, La Flaga too had his MS practices within the grounds of the base. He complained to Simmons about the Aegis's lack of flight capabilities in MS form. She promised to look into the matter.

As expected, Kira was assigned to Simmons, who had welcomed him back. The duo worked on problems with the OS, and Kira had managed to refine the original system which he had written. The lady was amazed by the teen's talent. So was Cagalli, who continued to hang around in the factory.

As for the rest of the crew, they were allowed time off to visit their families. But as they were now military personnel, they would have to return to the ship every night. Tolle didn't like the rule at all, but he accepted the fact that given their status, it was already a miracle that they were allowed such freedom of movement.

Kira was having a break. As usual, the Princess of Orb wanted to hear more from him. The lady remembered someone who was close to Kira.

"Hey, what happened to that red-haired girl?"

"Flay?" Suddenly, Kira felt a little sick. He didn't know what had happened to her, if she had survived the battle. He started to tremble. 

"Are you all right?" Cagalli knew that she had struck a raw nerve.

"I'm fine. It's just that... I don't know how she is right now." Kira explained the situation. Cagalli was optimistic.

"Don't worry. I'm sure she'll be fine."

While the two were having their little chat, they didn't realise that an officer had been standing behind them. He coughed. As they turned around, he spoke.

"Lady Cagalli, Ensign Yamato, both of you are wanted in Lord Homura's office."

The duo had no idea why the Representative wanted to see them. They discussed the possibilities on their way there. But the moment Kira opened the door, his mouth fell open. Cagalli stared at the people who had gathered in front of the table.

Athrun Zala walked up to the pair.

"Aren't the two of you coming in? Or are both of you contented just by staring at us from the corridor?" He ushered the duo into the room.

Besides Athrun, Cagalli didn't know the pink-haired lady. But both Kira and her felt like they had seen a ghost. Andrew Waltfeld laughed out loud.

"Looks like you two wouldn't be rid of me that easily."

By now, Kira had saw Lacus. The Pink Princess smiled at him.

"We meet again, Kira," said the Songstress softly.

"Now, before you two start shooting questions, please pick your jaws off the floor and listen to what these three have to say," said Lord Uzumi. The meeting had proven to him that these ZAFT personnel weren't lying.

The trio then recollected the events which had led them to Orb. Athrun began by telling what had happened at Spitbreak, which was confirmed by Kira. He then moved on to his suspicion that Rau Le Creuset was the betrayer within ZAFT.

"He's also my former team leader, and the one who had pursued the Archangel, starting from Heliopolis."

"So..." Kira realised the implications of what his best friend had just said.

"He's the one who ordered the destruction of the colony," said Athrun, while looking at the teen. Kira clenched his fists. 

Lacus then continued by explaining her role in the whole thing. As the former Chairman of PLANT's Supreme Council, her father had come up with the idea of stealing the Eternal and the Freedom to discredit Athrun's father, the current Chairman. Also, she raised the suspicion that Rau was manipulating Chairman Zala to increase his influence within ZAFT, and to continue with the war on the EAF.

Andrew started his part by recalling how he had survived his encounter with Kira in the desert, and his return to PLANT, where Siegel Clyne recommended to Chairman Zala that he be made the captain of the Eternal and the pilot of Freedom. He also made clear his disdain of "that masked creep", and thus showed his support by helping the couple.

"What about Aisha," asked Cagalli after Waltfeld had finished. She still had the dress which the lady had given to her.

"She... didn't make it. In fact, I myself am not exactly in the best of shape." With that, the Desert Tiger revealed his mechanical limbs. Kira looked away. He had been the cause of all this. Andrew saw the teen and grinned.

"I don't blame you, Kira. You did warn me to give up, and I paid the price for not doing so."

"Thank you, for forgiving me," said Kira. He was close to tears. Cagalli had to comfort him although she herself was sad to hear of Aisha's death.

It took some time for all the information to sink in. This Le Creuset fellow was indeed a deep one, if he truly was a double agent, thought Uzumi. He could never understand such people who wanted the war to go on, regardless of the reasons they might have. With such people stoking the flames, it would only be a matter of time before Orb is targeted. The lord knew then that their step-up in defences would have to be more intensive.

As for Kira, Rau Le Creuset had now become his personal enemy. He would never forgive anyone who delights in killing. The death of Aisha weighed heavily on his mind, and the way Le Creuset had casually destroyed so much just to get the Archangel made his blood boil.

Athrun thought for a while. What he wanted to mention was one of ZAFT's greatest, and deadliest, secrets. He decided to risk it. If Orb decided to inspect the MSes on board the Eternal, they would discover it anyway.

"Lord Athha, ZAFT is also in possession of the Neutron Jammer Cancellers."

The lords, Kira and Cagalli gasped. This meant that ZAFT has the ability to effectively utilise nuclear energy. Both Andrew and Lacus held their breaths. They didn't think that Athrun needed to disclose this little fact.

"Also, on board the Eternal, there are two Mobile Suits which have the NJC installed in them. But if you wish to incorporate them into the Orb military, I have a request."

"what is it," asked Lord Homura.

"If they are used by the Orb military, I want them to be supervised, not just by the Representative here, but also by Captain Waltfeld and myself. We don't want another Bloody Valentine incident." "Nor do we. We would not want the NJC in the Orb military anyway. It is not safe to mass-produce this device here on Earth. In fact, I want all of you not to breathe a single word of this to anyone else," said Lord Uzumi firmly. Athrun knew then that he had made the right decision. Uzumi turned towards Waltfeld.

"Have your crew change out of their uniforms. Like the Archangel, the Eternal is now part of the Orb military. But, your men would not be allowed to leave the base, at least for now. If ZAFT was to know that we are harbouring a fugitive..."

"We get the idea, my lord. But what about Miss Clyne? A civilian like her shouldn't stay here."

"If you don't mind, I'll like Miss Clyne to stay with me. Perhaps she can teach that tomboy daughter of mine some manners. Of course, she can come to the base to visit the crew. But, I'm sorry to say that she cannot go anywhere unmonitored."

"Father," protested Cagalli.

"Lacus, I wished that Cagalli could be half as gentle as you. Her behaviour is unacceptable for her status," said Uzumi, ignoring the girl who was now red in the face. Lacus bowed courteously at the praise.

Kira and Athrun grinned at each other. The two ladies have completely opposite personalities. They wondered how the two would get along.

"All right. All of you are dismissed." With that, the five of them took their leave, leaving the representative with the task of thinking up reasons for letting the ZAFT ship remain in Orb. The other lords were sure to have a field day over the issue...

Once outside the office, Athrun wanted Kira to follow him. Cagalli decided to tag along. The group then went to the hangar of the Eternal. Kira and Cagalli stared in awe at the MSes. They were unlike any the two had ever seen before.

"This is the Justice. I'm sure you've seen it before. But what I want to show you... is this." Athrun pointed to the Freedom.

"The ZGMF-X10A Freedom, brother unit of the ZGMF-X09A Justice, and I want you to have it." Both Kira and Cagalli stared at their friend.

"Well, as its designated pilot, I'll sure be glad to hand it over to you. I was never much of a MS pilot anyway," joked Andrew.

"We're now on the same side, Kira. Let us fight together as well. For justice," said Athrun, thrusting out his hand.

"And freedom." The two pilots locked their hands together. The three onlookers smiled.

"Watch out, Le Creuset. These boys will put an end to your little games," warned Andrew. 

Afterthoughts

-Please RnR! 


	9. The calm before the storm

Ledonir Kisaka's mind was somewhere else as he made his way to Lord Uzumi's manor. He had no idea why the lord had summoned him to his residence. After seeing the Lion in person, Lord Uzumi told him that Cagalli had a female friend which required "special protection"; he would now be the escort for both of them. Kisaka accepted his orders with a salute.

"Ladies, are you done yet," called out the Lion. Kisaka stood up straighter. He wondered who this friend of Cagalli's could be.

"Just another moment, Lord Athha," replied a lady's voice. That must be the guest, thought Kisaka. The door of a nearby room clicked open.

Kisaka had to bite his lip to stop himself from laughing. Cagalli was in a dress more flowery than any she had ever worn before. The girl next to her, despite her cargo pants and T-shirt (complete with a cap), looked more lady-like than Cagalli. Kisaka looked at her snow-white complexion and demeanour. Now, this is how a princess should look like, thought the colonel. 

Lord Uzumi was bemused by the girls' dressings. Cagalli had insisted that Lacus wear her usual clothings if she was to wear a dress. Gamely, the Pink Princess had agreed. As it turned out, it seemed that no matter what you do, you cannot turn a princess into a tomboy, or vice versa for that matter.

"Lord Athha, I'll like to visit the factory," requested Lacus. Kisaka was amazed by her gentle voice. He was now very curious of his charge's identity.

"Of course. Kisaka." The escort then showed the ladies to his car. The three then headed for Onogoro. On the trip there, Cagalli decided to keep the giant updated.

"Ledonir, Kira and the Archangel are now part of the Orb military."

"Is that the case?" Kisaka was surprised. How could the Archangel have left the EAF so easily?

"Also... the Desert Tiger is here on Orb as well. He had defected from ZAFT."

Kisaka stopped the car by the roadside. He was stunned by Cagalli's words. Andrew Waltfeld, here, on Orb? He thought that the Tiger was killed by Kira in the desert. Cagalli explained that although he survived, he had lost his left eye, an arm and a leg. The colonel felt sorry for the man. Though he had torched Kisaka's hometown of Tassil, he had gotten more than what he deserved. Ledonir continued his driving. 

At the factory, Kira was reconfiguring the Strike for another person's use. Sai Argyle was now its pilot. After he had told Murrue about the Freedom, he had also recommended that Sai replace him as the Strike's pilot. Kira would never forget the fact that Sai once stayed in a cell because of the MS. He didn't know how the teen had reacted to the news; he hadn't seen him yet.

Athrun sat by the side and observed his friend as he went about his task. The reunion had felt like a dream. Not too long ago, they were still fighting each other in space. Now, they would do battle as part of a team. But, this had come at a price. He had disgraced his father and in return, the older Zala had disowned him. He hoped that he would be able to speak with his father again; he knew that the war would have to end if his wish was to come true.

"Hi, Kira," greeted Asagi Caldwell. Mayura Labatt and Julie Wu Nien were with her too. The three of them must be good friends, like Athrun and himself, thought the boy. They were always giggling and gossiping to each other. Their teasing of him and Cagalli always made Kira blush.

"Kira! Athrun," called out a familiar voice. As the two turned around, they didn't know who had called them. Sure, it was Lacus's voice, but all they saw was this pink-haired girl in a cap, T-shirt and cargo pants, and Cagalli in a dress. Wait a minute... The two pilots, along with the Astray girls, gathered around the odd pair. Kisaka wisely slowed his pace to stay behind them; he didn't like the idea of being swarmed by younger peers. The boys couldn't believe what they were seeing. Both had never seen Lacus dressed up like this before. As for Athrun, he couldn't imagine Cagalli in anything else other than her tomboy outfits. The two started to laugh.

Cagalli wanted to punch the boys, but Lacus reminded her, "You're a lady, remember? Don't ever be rough with anyone"  
The girl gritted her teeth. Despite herself, she couldn't bring herself to hate Lacus. After all, it was her father who wanted her to be more lady-like.

After a good laugh, the two teens checked out the ladies.

"You look beautiful in this," said Athrun to Cagalli. The girl's face went crimson red.

"As for Lacus, I think you should use this as a disguise if you want to move around in Orb. No one will suspect you of being a VIP," wisecracked Kira.

"Gee, you really look good."

"Who are you? Are you a guest of Lady Cagalli's?"

"Can you tell us your beauty secrets?"

Lacus smiled shyly as the Astray pilots bombarded her with questions. Athrun decided to help his fiancee out of her tight spot.

"Ladies, she's my fiancee. Both of us came here to escape from my father, who wanted to keep us under house arrest for opposing the war."

"That's right. This gentleman here is Athrun Zala, son of PLANT Supreme Council Chairman Zala. The lady is Lacus Clyne, daughter of former Chairman Siegel Clyne," added Andrew Waltfeld. Caught up in their little commotion, no one saw the Desert Tiger walking towards them. Kisaka stiffened. The Tiger looked at the Colonel.

"You looked like you came from the desert," observed Andrew.

"My hometown was Tassil, and I was with the Archangel when it landed in your area," answered Kisaka. Both men looked at each other. Kira and Cagalli thought that the two might start a fight.

"Your name," asked the former ZAFT commander as he thrust out his hand.

"Ledonir Kisaka," replied the giant as he shook the Tiger's hand. He realised that the limb was cool to the touch.

"Now, we're on the same side. I look forward to working with you." With that, the Tiger walked away.

Kira, Athrun, Lacus and Cagalli sighed. It seemed to them that more work had to be done before old prejudices would fade away...

After the Battle of Porta Panama...

Lord Uzumi had gathered the officers of the Archangel and the Eternal in his residence for an emergency meeting. He wanted to hear the views of these "outsiders" (as how one lord described them during an unrelated meeting).

"As all of you might already know, Porta Panama has fallen into ZAFT hands." At this, Athrun and Andrew looked at the lord, but said nothing.

Uzumi continued, "I've called this meeting to ask your opinions on how this would affect Orb." 

Natarle was the first to speak.

"Panama houses the EAF's last mass driver," she observed.

"Which means that the EA will look to Orb for their mass driver," said Andrew with a resigned tone.

"But Orb is a neutral country," pointed out Kira.

"Exactly. Those thugs in the EAF will think that it is easier to take the mass driver from Orb than from ZAFT. They expect Orb to give in without a tough fight," said the Tiger.

"That's where they would be wrong. After hearing your accounts when you first arrived here, Orb has stepped up her defences."

"The question is, my lord: How would they hold against a total onslaught by EAF forces," questioned Andrew. The rest of the group stared at him as though he was mad.

"We must assume that the EAF will stop at NOTHING to get their hands on the mass driver, which isn't that far off the mark. If they fail here, they'll have to face ZAFT as their next option."

Murrue thought about her forces. Sai had been trying to perfect his movements in the Strike, and the Aegis still couldn't fly in MS mode, much to La Flaga's chagrin. Given Orb's geography, only Kira in Freedom would have true mobility.

La Flaga voiced his concern to Uzumi. "Sir, if you wish to cut civilian casualties to the minimum, then Orb forces must engage the EAF further away from the coastline." He was looking at Murrue as he made the comment.

"Point taken, Lt. Commander." Uzumi sighed. After all his efforts to keep war out of Orb, it looks like a battle would be unavoidable this time. 

Kira and Athrun looked at each other. They knew that they would be the key to Orb's military efforts should a battle start. They hoped that they would be ready to face the challenge.

Afterthoughts

-Please RnR! 


	10. The battle for Orb

June 15, C.E. 71. It was a bright and sunny day, but for the huge EAF fleet approaching the Orb union, the weather was the furthest thing from their minds. They had come with only one thing in mind: to occupy the country and take the Kaguya mass driver, which would be vital to their war efforts. Muruta Azrael had never liked Orb's neutrality so far. This time, he would force the union to yield. Little did he realise what he had really gotten himself into...

The crews of the Eternal and the Archangel had already gathered on the bridges of their ships. Lord Uzumi was about to brief them on the EAF's moves.

"Their chief negotiator, Murata Azrael, has delivered an ultimatum demanding that Orb either join the war effort against 'humanity's evil enemy, the Coordinators' or be declared a supporter of PLANT and face military takeover." The crew of the Eternal and Kira bristled at Azrael's description of them. As for Murrue and Natarle, the thought of facing their former colleagues wasn't exactly comforting. But, both knew then that they had made the right choice to leave the EAF.

"Obviously, these terms are absolutely unacceptable. That's where you guys come in. Given your offensive abilities, you'll be our best hope of repelling the invaders."

"You can count on us, Lord Uzumi," replied Kira and Athrun. Both of them had already suited up for the battle to come.

"I know I could. Good luck, and may Haumea smile upon all of you." With that prayer, the lord signed off. The two ships then began their final preparations.

The Archangel would field three MSes: The Freedom, the Strike and the Aegis, but the Aegis would take on a defensive role. La Flaga didn't like that plan, but he held his tongue after Murrue threatened a court-martial if he flew the Aegis away in its mobile armour mode to look for fights.

Sai was extremely nervous. Although the enemy were Naturals, like himself, he had no confidence in his abilities. Tolle, by now a seasoned flyer, calmed the teen down and warned him, "If you lose your cool out there, you WILL die." Sai swallowed hard.

"Don't worry, the Skygrasper and I will be there for you. Also, don't forget our trump card as well." The bespectacled teen had to smile at that fact. He had failed to pilot the Strike once; now, he would take it into battle. He swore to himself that he would do his bit.

On board the Eternal, the Coordinator crew chatted with the Natural pilots of the M1 Astrays. Andrew had asked for, and received, these Mobile Suits. With the Justice on the offensive, the ship would need the Astrays to keep the enemy at bay. Waltfeld wasn't exactly worried by the EAF. During his time in the desert, he had almost been bored to death by their incompetence; still, the importance of Orb to the EA had not been lost on the Tiger. He smiled to himself. At least, he would be able to celebrate their victory with the new brew of coffee which he had concocted recently.

Martin observed his boss. The deputy knew that the Tiger loved challenges. He himself was not so sure that Orb would be able to repel her invaders. But, victory or defeat, he knew that he, and the rest of the crew, would stand by the captain. He decided to refocus his attention on the task ahead.

Kisaka had his hands full trying to keep Cagalli under control. The girl had wanted to join the Archangel in the upcoming battle, but Lord Uzumi had insisted that she take shelter in one of the underground bunkers. As expected, the lady had screamed and kicked the whole way to the bunker. As for Lacus, she said a soft prayer for all the combatants, especially her fiance and Kira. Although they didn't say anything to her, but as Coordinators, the Songstress knew that they would be the ones to win the day for the union. For once, she wished that the three of them were Naturals and not the "evil enemy of humanity" as mentioned by Azrael. Kisaka had mentioned that little fact to her; he almost wished that he hadn't, given the sadness he saw on Lacus's face after the comment.

The stated deadline of the ultimatum came and went. As Azrael expected, the union had rejected his offer. He wasn't worried about Orb's defences at all; after all, Orb's military, though well-equipped, was small in size. With the number of GAT-01 Strike Daggers at his disposal, Orb would fall. Moreover, he did have three "special" MSes under him as well...

The Freedom and the Justice were soon taking down the Strike Daggers as they come. Both teens were amazed by the sheer tenacity of the EAF troops. They had to do something, thought Kira. Suddenly, three MSes charged towards them. Both knew that these MSes were no ordinary ones. Azrael had ordered the Raider, the Calamity and the Forbidden to take out the "troublemakers" (as he called them).

"Hey, hey, hey! Look at what we got here," taunted Orga Sabnak.

"You know what I see, Orga? Targets," replied Clotho Buer.

The Forbidden was silent; Shani didn't see the need to antagonize the enemy. He went straight at the Justice.

As the two Coordinator pilots were kept busy, the Strike Daggers began to drive a wedge into Orb's defence line. Andrew Waltfeld decided to alert the two.

"Athrun! Kira! The defences aren't going to hold much longer," reminded the captain of the Eternal. The ship too was being pinned down by the EAF. The two knew that something drastic needed to be done; they went into SEED mode.

"Kira! Take down the black one!" With that, the Justice surged forward, with a beam saber in hand. Before Clotho could react, the duo had cut the arms of the Raider off. The red-haired pilot swore as he changed the Raider into mobile armour form. Orga stopped smiling. He sensed that something was going on.

He was right: the attacks of the Freedom and the Justice were becoming fiercer by the minute. The pilot of the Calamity decided to try something else. The Calamity shook off the attacks and made its way to the shoreline. The Freedom followed behind. Kira saw the mobile suit aiming its plasma-sabot bazooka... at the seaport nearby. He screamed into the intercom.

"Athrun! He's going to fire at the evacuating civilians!"

Despite Kira's words, Athrun couldn't do anything to help. Clotho and Shani were not letting up on the Justice. With a cry, Kira flew the Freedom into the Calamity's firing area. The shot from the bazooka hit the Freedom's shield. Completely disgusted by what the enemy pilot was trying to do, Kira rammed his MS into the Calamity. The Freedom then cut the bazooka into two, and beheaded the Calamity. Sabnak decided to pull back and attack the Justice. The Freedom was hot on his heels and he didn't like that. 

13 year-old Shinn Asuka, together with his family, was going to leave Orb. Although Coordinators had been welcomed in the union, Lord Homura had ordered their evacuation to the PLANTS. They were to gather at the country's seaports and be escorted to the mass driver. Uzumi feared that if they do not leave now, it would be too late should Orb be taken by the EAF. During their run, Mayu, his sister, dropped her handphone. Sliding down a slope to retrieve it, he had just held the cellphone in his hands when he heard the cries. He looked to the skies, and was shocked to see this giant robot aiming at them. He also saw the robot which took the hit. As he rejoined his family, he thought "Someday, I'll be in one of those things, and I'll do my part to protect the ones I loved..."

The Justice and the Freedom were able to gain the upper hand against the EAF suits. Their pilots decided to pull out of the conflict. Orga was swearing non-stop and Clotho was yelling at Shani. The loner simply put on his headphones and turned up the volume. Buoyed by their success, Kira and Athrun went back to reinforce the Orb military. Soon, the EAF was retreating but Andrew Waltfeld knew that the enemy wouldn't give up so easily.

"This is the Eternal to all forces. Pursue the enemy with caution. I repeat, pursue the enemy with caution. They are merely taking a breather. It's best that we don't let them get it." Although the Tiger wasn't the commander of the fleet, most of the Orb forces heeded his call. Kira and Athrun went ahead to scout.

Sure enough, they could see the enemy carriers streaming towards their flagship. Athrun reported what he saw to the Tiger.

"Just as I thought. You two had better get going. Make sure none of the EAF ships releases their payload!" The Freedom and the Justice went to work right away. Before Muruta Azrael's eyes, the EAF reinforcements were destroyed there and then. His "troublemakers" had defeated his pilots and left his ship alone in a single battle. His interest in their capabilities had degenerated into intense hatred. The Archangel, the Eternal and much of the Orb fleet soon surrounded the ship. Lord Homura spoke from his office.

"Muruta Azrael, go back and tell the EA never to set their eyes on Orb again. Your actions today have sent many of your subordinates to their deaths. If the EA ever comes back, you had better prepare more body bags."

Azrael wanted to explode but there was nothing he could do except to order the retreat. As the ship sailed off, Athrun and Kira heaved a sigh of relief. On board the Archangel, Murrue and Natarle were happy with their performance. The Strike had held its own in the heat of battle, and the ship had taken only a few hard knocks despite the enemy's overwhelming numbers. As for the Eternal, her captain had already began brewing the coffee for the celebration... 

Afterthoughts

-Please RnR! 


	11. Rise of the Three Ship Alliance

Although the battle had been won, Lord Uzumi still feared for his country. As long as Orb possessed a mass driver, she would never be truly safe. But, he had also realised that Orb would have to help bring an end to the war. He decided to summon the officers of the Eternal and the Archangel to his residence. After further thought, he told Kisaka that his two charges would sit in as well. Cagalli deserved the right to make her choice after hearing his plans for the ships.

The crew of the Archangel was unusually cheerful. Arnold was pleased that he had helped the ship evade attacks that were too many to count (to him) and the duo of Natarle and Murrue were glad that they had helmed the ship together. Only La Flaga was grumbling that he had missed out on the action (which wasn't true, given the waves of Strike Daggers which attacked the Archangel).

When the crew of the Eternal arrived, Athrun gave Kira a high-five. They had done it together, and both pilots knew that. The Desert Tiger too reserved his praise for the two aces. They, and the rest of the officers, thanked him in return for his insights before and during the battle.

Cagalli bugged Kira to tell her details of his exploits; Lacus embraced her fiance. After a short while, Uzumi decided to start the discussion. He said that the Archangel and the Eternal should not stay in Orb anymore. Before anyone could protest, the lord explained himself. He didn't meant to drive the two ships away; he felt that they would be able to help end the war faster if they leave the country.

"But where could we go," asked Kira. That was the question most of the people present were asking themselves. Now, both the EAF and ZAFT were after them. Suddenly, Andrew thought of a good location.

"I do have one suggestion: the Mendel colony. It's already abandoned so we could have the place to ourselves. Also, its location in space would mean that we would be able to get anywhere quickly, especially if the EA decides to try anything funny." The others murmured their approval. You could never go wrong following the Tiger's advice. Cagalli decided to speak up. She could not stand the thought of staying behind while her friends risked their lives.

"Father, I want to go with them as well!"

"My lord, since we already have former troops of the EAF and ZAFT in this little coalition, it would only be fair for Orb to have a representative as well," added Ledonir Kisaka. To his (and Cagalli's) surprise, Uzumi didn't object to either suggestion. The Lion thought for a while.

"Kisaka, you would lead the Kusanagi to join the Archangel and the Eternal. You had best start preparing. All of you would be leaving very soon."

As they were dismissed, Uzumi asked his daughter to come to his study. Inside the room, he gave Cagalli a photograph of her and Kira when they were babies. When the girl saw the photo, her mouth fell open. She stared at her father.

"Although you would be leaving me, Cagalli, you would not be alone, for your brother would be with you. But you must not reveal this to anyone, not even Kira." Uzumi was dead serious as he passed on the instruction to Cagalli. The girl was too stunned to reply. Her father then patted her on the shoulder before leaving her to her thoughts... 

Kisaka went about gathering the pilots for the Astrays which would be on board the Kusanagi. He had no trouble convincing Asagi, Mayura and Julie to join him after he told them that Cagalli was coming along. The others were understandably more reluctant. But in the end, all agreed to come on board. Even Erica Simmons volunteered to be on the ship after she learnt that the Archangel would be leaving as well. She was sure that should she meet any technical problems, she would be able to handle it with Kira's help.

After the Kusanagi had finished her preparations, the three ships awaited their turns to be launched into space. Due to the haste, Tolle and the gang didn't have time to bid their families farewell, but their captain reassured them that they would be coming back. However, she was silent when they asked her when that time would be; she didn't have the answer herself.

Homura sighed when his brother joined him in the office. Although he was reluctant to do so, Uzumi had insisted on it. Also, the other lords would object to the plan, should they know about it. The representative tried to persuade his brother one last time.

"It would take us a long time to rebuild the whole thing."

"We would have time AFTER the war, Homura. Are the troops in place?" Homura nodded.

The Kusanagi was the last to be launched. As she joined the other ships in space, suddenly...

"Colonel Kisaka, the Kaguya mass driver... It's gone," cried out the crew member in charge of surveillance. On board the Eternal and the Archangel, the crews had also picked up the destruction of the mass driver.

"Looks like we're really on our own now," wisecracked Andrew Waltfeld and Mu La Flaga to no one in particular. Murrue and her first mate sighed as well. It seemed that Fate had played a joke on the Archangel: they were once again "lost" in space; the only difference was that this time, they weren't alone.

Now, the question was: What should they call themselves? La Flaga was quick to come up with a name.

"Since we have three ships in an alliance, why not call ourselves the 'Three Ship Alliance'?" It was also one of the rare moments where Murrue and Natarle agreed with each other. They radioed this suggestion to the other ships.

"'Three Ship Alliance', huh? Sounds good enough for me," mused Andrew. On the Kusanagi, Cagalli and Kisaka also approved of the name.

Now that a new name had been chosen, the Three Ship Alliance continued on their way to Mendel. Kira and Athrun knew that the trump cards of the alliance were the Justice and the Freedom. To stop the EAF and ZAFT at the same time seemed suicidal, but both teens were ready to take on that challenge.

Afterthoughts

-Please RnR! 


	12. Mendel

At Mendel, the Three Ship Alliance geared up for war. La Flaga finally dropped his complaints about the Aegis; after all, they were now in space. Erica Simmons designed a MS for Cagalli based on the Strike. The Princess of Orb had liked it. She couldn't wait to pilot the "Strike Rouge", as she called it. Anyway, the new suit also took her mind off other matters. After her father's revelation, she didn't know how to face Kira. Fortunately for her, the teen stayed on the Archangel most of the time. Whenever he came over to the Kusanagi to look for Erica, she would sneak away to the Eternal. Also, her father had apparently asked Lacus to continue her lessons on etiquette. Somehow, learning the fact that she now had a brother convinced her that she should watch her manners.

As for Lacus, besides accompanying Cagalli, she too had a new companion. Athrun decided to make a Haro for his fiancee. Lacus had seemed a little sad ever since her "kidnapping", and Athrun wanted to cheer her up. When he presented the toy to her, her brilliant smile told the teen that he had hit the jackpot.

But away from Mendel, things were also moving at a quickening pace. After the failed assault on Orb, Azrael wanted to attack the country again. But the destruction of the mass driver convinced him that it would be unwise to waste more troops just to avenge his humiliation. The EAF decided to take Victoria...

Over at the PLANTs, Siegel's gamble had paid off. Patrick was now Chairman in name only, although Rau Le Creuset had been given free rein over ZAFT policies. The Clyne faction realised that the weakened Chairman still had considerable authority. The battles would be fought during the crucial meetings, thought Siegel.

When Eileen Canaver brought news that the EAF troops were slaughtering their forces in Victoria, Siegel's worries increased. If they were not careful, the whole war might become one of extermination. It was then that he was grateful for Athrun's and his daughter's sacrifices. Now that the moderates had a slight advantage over Rau Le Creuset, they would not allow him to blow the whole thing out of proportion.

The Mendel colony was a sanctuary for the Three Ship Alliance, but their luck did not hold for long. Both the EAF and ZAFT managed to lock on to the colony as their hidng grounds and launched their offensives. Both sides were in for a little surprise...

Muruta Azrael was now in the Dominion, the EA's second Archangel-class battleship. The Calamity, the Forbidden and the Raider were also repaired and on board. Azrael's aim was simple: to crush those responsible for his humiliation in Orb, although he wouldn't mind having the "troublemaking" MSes in the EAF. Their performance in the battle of Orb had aroused Azrael's suspicions that they may be nuclear-powered. The thought of using nukes against the PLANTs was an interesting one to him.

ZAFT too wanted the Justice and the Freedom. As Athrun's MS, the Justice was now a "shoot-on-sight" target for the troops. As for the Eternal, on Siegel Clyne's wishes, it would be given a choice to surrender. Otherwise, it would be destroyed. The same applied to the Freedom as well. 

As they prepared for their launch, the Le Creuset team had mixed feelings about hunting down Athrun. Sure, Dearka and Yzak had never liked him much but they still couldn't believe that he had the audacity to kidnap his future wife and hijack a ship. (They didn't think he would have the guts to do it.) As for Nicol, there was a hundred and one questions he wanted to ask Athrun if he met the older teen... After meeting with the masked Le Crueset, Kira was breathless from all the information. He was an Ultimate Coordinator, and his sister was Cagalli? But he hadn't have much time to think. The EAF and ZAFT had commenced their attack. In fact, Athrun had already began his engagement with the EAF troops. ZAFT had already hailed the Eternal. Of course, the Desert Tiger had refused to give the ship up. When reminded of the consequences, he merely finished his cup of coffee before ordering the crew to be on full battle alert. Wisely, he assigned the Justice to deal with the EAF rather than ZAFT; still, there was the chance that the redcoats would be able to track Athrun down.

As Kira piloted the Freedom, ZAFT too issued their warning. After a negative response, he was greeted by an onslaught of GINNS. On top of that, the Duel, the Buster and the Blitz had been looking for a fight which wouldn't bore them. Once Yzak realised who the pilot was, he nearly went berserk. (Knowing that the Freedom would outmatch the three MSes, Kira had actually asked them to stay away from him.)

Although his friend wasn't in any danger, Athrun went over to the Freedom. He needed to talk to his former team mates.

"Kira! Let me handle this!" Knowing that the Justice would be able to take care of itself, the Freedom went off.

"Well, well, if it isn't the traitor." Athrun had to smile when he heard the voice. It seemed that Dearka's penchant for sarcastic remarks had remained unchanged.

"Athrun! What does it always have to be you? First, you couldn't kill that friend of yours. Now, you even gave him ZAFT's latest MS?" Yzak was outraged by Athrun's actions.

"Listen to me! Rau Le Creuset was the one who leaked the details of Spitbreak to the EAF! Besides my father and myself, he's the only one who knew that ZAFT was attacking JOSH-A!"

There was silence as the three ZAFT pilots tried to take in what Athrun had said. Yzak didn't believe it at all.

"Don't be deceived by his lies!"

"Which one of us is really being deceived, Yzak," asked Athrun in a soft voice. Yzak didn't know what to say to that.

"Athrun, was everything you said the truth?" Nicol wanted to believe his friend, but the thought of his commander betraying ZAFT was a little too much for him. 

"Every word, Nicol, I swear."

"Well then, before we get our facts straight, let's go find some other fish to fry." Dearka knew that Athrun was telling the truth; he needed some sort of excuse to convince Yzak to drop the argument for now. Nicol agreed to his suggestion. Reluctantly, Yzak retreated with his teammates.

By this time, the Freedom had began its engagement with the EAF suits. On his own, Kira was beginning to have some problems dealing with the three. Just then, Flay's voice came on the intercom. Le Creuset had put her in an escape pod, along with a disk containing the specs to N-Jammer Cancelller technology. He was sure that the Earth Alliance would be able to pick up the girl, and the special gift he had prepared for them. But he hadn't count on the lady's attempts to communicate with the Archangel, thus alerting the whole battlefield of her presence.

"Flay, is that you," asked Kira. The girl was in tears when she heard Kira's words.

"Yes."

From where he was, Athrun could see the Freedom heading towards the pod... with the Raider and the Forbidden on its heels. He shouted into the intercom.

"Kira! Don't lose your head at a time like this!"

His warning reminded Kira that he was still in combat. The Freedom managed to duck just as the Forbidden tried to take its head off. The Justice quickly went to its aid...

But for Flay, it was too late; the Dominion had seized her pod. Although she had heard Kira's voice again, the thought of being separated from him again was hard on her. She was still in tears when the guards escorted her to Azrael...

The battle was a success to the alliance. Not only did they repel both sides, they also destroyed Le Creuset's command ship while losing only a few of their Astrays. But for Kira, it was a disaster, for he had let Flay slip away from him. There were other concerns too. He needed to talk to Cagalli and Athrun. If not, he felt that he might burst from the secrets which he had bottled up inside him. He held on tight to the photograph which Le Creuset had given to him.

On board the Eternal, her captain, Athrun, Lacus and Cagalli were gathered in the captain's quarters. They were a little curious about this particular meeting; it was unlike Kira to want to meet them in "private". There was a knock on the door.

Kira took a few deep breaths before entering the room. He started by telling the others about Rau Le Creuset's true identity. Even Andrew was shocked to learn that the masked commander was an actual clone. Athrun and Lacus had never had a good opinion of him after Spitbreak, but this development was unexpected. The former ZAFT ace feared for his father; he couldn't imagine what Le Creuset had in store for the Chairman and ZAFT. As he pondered over this disturbing news, Athrun noticed his best friend's discomfort. Something else was coming up, he thought.

The teen then took out the well-framed photograph and showed it to Cagalli. Realising that her brother knew about their relationship, Cagalli took out her photograph as well. As the siblings compared the photographs, there was no longer any doubt that Le Creuset and Uzumi had told the truth. Athrun and Lacus looked at the photographs; they had no idea what was going on except for their observations that the two babies looked a lot like Cagalli and Kira. After viewing the photos, Andrew had a thin smile.

"I know the two of you were more than just friends." The four teens looked at the Tiger.

"That day at my place, the way you protected Cagalli. It felt like a brother protecting his sister, rather than a boy looking out for his girl," observed Andrew.

Athrun and Lacus were happy for the siblings. After the evil news of Le Creuset, this reunion was something worth celebrating, but the two wanted Andrew, Athrun and Lacus to keep it a secret. When the trio remembered who Cagalli was, they agreed. No one could predict what would happen if this news spreaded.

"Well, at least you're no longer alone now," said Athrun. He patted his friend on the shoulder.

Kira wanted to cry but he blinked back his tears. Now, if he could get Flay back, it would be perfect...

For Cagalli, she was enormously relieved that she no longer needed to keep the secret from Kira. On another front, the construction of her Strike Rouge was underway. Although she knew that she might die out here, the plucky girl couldn't imagine herself anywhere else. Perhaps that was why her father allowed her to leave Orb. The country may be neutral, but from the sidelines, she would help in whatever she could. 

Afterthoughts

-Please RnR! 


	13. Jachin Due

After the skirmish in the Mendel colony, the EAF was determined to bring the war to a whole new level. With the NJC technology found on Flay Allster, Muruta Azrael began arming the military with nuclear missiles. The demonstration of their power at Boaz forced the moderate faction in the Supreme Council to agree to Chairman Zala's demands for GENESIS to be built. As far as Rau Le Creuset was concerned, his plans were going very smoothly.

With Operation Peacemaker underway, the EAF massed its forces for an assault on Jachin Due, the site where GENESIS was built. As the Earth Alliance prepared their missiles, ZAFT's very own superweapon was entering its final stages and ready to fire. Going into the battle, Blue Cosmos's main objective was destroying the PLANTs; they were strongly determined not only to eliminate all ZAFT forces, but also to completely wipe out the opposing side's civilian population. The Supreme Council agreed to the use of GENESIS should the EAF opt for nuclear annihilation, but they won an important concession: the Chairman himself would not be on Jachin Due as Commander-in-Chief. Eileen Canaver would be his representative. Rau Le Creuset didn't mind the arrangement; he had everything under control, or so he thought for he had secretly rigged GENESIS to fire when Jachin Due self-destructs. But Eileen, with Siegel's reminder, slowly transferred moderate members of ZAFT onto Jachin Due and GENESIS. Although they didn't spot the tampering, they were determined not to fire their superweapon on Earth.

The Three Ships Alliance decided to interfere. They would thwart any attack on either side's civilian population, and end all hostilities if possible. As they prepared for battle, the Hawk joked, "We have nukes on one side, and GENESIS on the other. How are we supposed to stop them without getting ourselves killed?"

"Well, you were the one who said that you could make the impossible possible, right," wisecracked Murrue in return. Natarle had to snigger at the smart rebuttal, but the first mate was worried too. La Flaga was right; would they be able to come out of this battle alive?

The Archangel had previously engaged the Dominion at Mendel; the knowledge of another Archangel-class battleship in the EAF set Natarle thinking. If the Dominion chose to fire her Lohengrin cannons... She alerted Murrue to this observation.

The captain herself was thinking about other matters. She had noted Flay's presence in Mendel, and her "rescue" by the Dominion. Kira and Sai would most certainly not attack the ship because of her. Murrue would have to get the Eternal to direct the Justice for engagement with the EAF vessel. She sighed when she thought of her former crew member. If the Dominion did not surrender, Flay might perish together with the ship. When the captain shared her thoughts with the first mate, Natarle had a resigned look on her face. "Such is the cruelty of war." was her reply. 

Once the battle started, there was total chaos.GINNs and Strike Daggers were blowing each other up and the ships from both sides were in the heat of battle. Kira and Athrun had detected something disturbing: a seemingly harmless strike force had managed to bypass all of ZAFT's defenses, which mean...

"They're heading for the PLANTs," exclaimed Athrun. The two MSes quickly went after the force. To both pilots' horror, the Moebiuses launched their nuclear payloads at the PLANTS. Thinking about Junius Seven, the Justice used its METEOR unit to intercept the missiles. With help of the Freedom, all the missiles were destroyed before they reached their targets.

Seething with anger at this deed, Athrun directed his rage at the strike force. After their disposal, he went for the EAF. Kira followed behind his friend.

The Le Creuset team had already clashed with the Extended pilots. Both sides were locked in a stalemate when the Justice and the Freedom came along. Remembering what the Calamity had tried to do on Orb, in addition to his anger, Athrun showed no mercy towards Orga Sabnak; the Calamity soon disappeared in a brilliant flash. Sensing that their opponent was too much for them to handle, Shani and Clotho chose to withdraw. As the Buster and the Duel gave chase, the Blitz hailed the Justice.

"Athrun! Get your guys to target the EAF. Miss Canaver is our Commander-in-Chief," revealed Nicol. He didn't want to fight Athrun or his friends. The teen quickly radioed the information back to the Eternal. With the moderates in charge of ZAFT, Andrew gladly informed the rest of the alliance to focus their efforts on the EAF.

But for Cagalli, the order came too late; Mayura had already been killed by ZAFT forces. She decided to channel her grief into fighting the other side. In SEED mode, she fought her way through the enemy ranks until the Strike Rouge came to the Forbidden and the Raider. Shani Andras took aim at the Rouge. From behind, the Buster combined its guns and fired at the the Forbidden, which caused considerable damage. Yzak then rushed in and was shot at by Shani, but the Duel ejected its Assault Shroud armor and let it got hit to make it seem like the Duel was destroyed; the ZAFT ace then rushed in with both beam sabers and sliced off the Forbidden's arms before cutting into the cockpit. With an explosion, the Forbidden was no more. "Thanks for saving me," said Cagalli. She hadn't noticed the Extended pilot taking aim at her.

"Next time, little miss, be sure to watch your back in battle," reminded Dearka as the Buster took on the last MS. The Duel and the Strike Rouge also pounced on the Raider. Clotho Buer, who was now going berserk, tried to fight all three at once; he was quickly taken down, permanently.

On board the Dominion, Azrael was getting desperate. GENESIS had already been fired twice, destroying a large part of his force. Also, his three top MS pilots were dead. He decided to fire the Lohengrins; that would buy them some time, he thought. The captain of the Dominion dutifully obeyed every command; he didn't want to stand up to the Blue Cosmos leader.

After the second firing, a member of the crew discovered some strange coding within GENESIS's interface. After tracing its source, he reported the problem to Canaver. The representative of the Chairman ordered the weapon to be shut down. It had served its purpose in the battle...

On the Archangel, Murrue Ramius had already asked for the Justice to attack the Dominion. On his way to the ship, he saw a ZAFT MS which he had never seen before. Then, a silky smooth voice which he had not heard in ages sounded over the radio.

"It's been a while, Athrun."

The Justice chose to ignore Le Creuset. To Athrun's surprise, his former commander did not give chase. His real target was Kira and the Freedom. Le Creuset smiled after recalling what he had done to the Aegis. His "brother" would be out of action for the rest of this battle, although it would be better if he had perished. Oh well, sometimes, one do have to settle for imperfections, mused Le Creuset as he hailed the Freedom...

The Archangel had tried its best to avoid the Dominion, but as the sister ship prepared to fire her Lohengrins (after a recharge following their first shots at other targets), the Justice arrived. In the nick of time, the Justice blasted the cannons to pieces. Azrael was furious. Then, he remembered something. Grabbing Flay, the leader pulled out a pistol and pointed it to her temple. He then demanded to speak with the captain of the Archangel.

Over the video intercom, the crew was shocked to see Flay being held as a hostage. Murrue and Natarle were outraged by Azrael's actions.

"As you can see, I have a friend of yours here. If the Archangel and her MSes do not surrender to the EAF at once, I'll kill her!" 

The captain knew that this demand was unacceptable, but Kira needed to be told about this. She ordered the broadcast to be patched through to the Freedom.

Kira was facing off against Le Creuset when the video intercom came to life. After the initial shock, the Freedom bolted for the Dominion. The Providence was hot on its heels.

"What's the matter? Having other stuff to worry about," mocked the masked commander.

Flay was terrified by the whole thing. The Archangel couldn't possibly agree to the terms put forth by Azrael. When she remembered Kira's words, her fear dissipated a little. With a timid voice, she called out to the Archangel.

"Don't listen to him, Captain. The Archangel must never rejoin the EAF with him still in charge."

With that, Murrue Ramius decided to reject Azrael's call for the Archangel to surrender. Although all parties had expected it, Kira wanted to object to it. He knew that Azrael would harm Flay, especially since she had said those words. Azrael decided to do something drastic, but he certainly wasn't in control of his body when the trigger of the gun was pulled...

Kira tried to take in what had just happened. He heard a bang, then the red haired girl whom he loved slumped to the floor, with blood oozing from the gunshot wound. The teen gave a yell of anguish. As for the crew of the Archangel, the Dominion was now an enemy which must be destroyed.

"By taking her life, Muruta Azrael, you have forfeited your own, along with those on board the ship," said Murrue with a chilling voice. "Prepare the Lohengrins!" 

With that, the crew of the Dominion scrambled for the escape pods. In the confusion, Azrael fired at them. He, too, was panicking. After emptying the gun of its bullets, he sat on the ground, and laughed madly. This was it, he thought.

The cannons were now charged up. After seeing the launch of the pods, the captain looked at her first mate. Both ladies nodded their agreement.

"Fire," ordered both of them. After an explosion, the Dominion was sunk.

With the Dominion destroyed, the Justice decided to help the Freedom in dealing with the Providence. Clouded by his grief, Kira's attacks were not finding their target. "This would be an easy one." thought Rau Le Creuset. He was interrupted by the Justice.

"So, you came back. Are you ready to face your own commander in battle?"

"I've never been more ready in my life. Your schemes end here today, Rau Le Creuset!"

"We'll see about that." The DRAGOON system hummed to life as it fired at the Justice. Athrun knew that this would be a tough fight.

Seeing the Justice coming under attack was a wake-up call for Kira. He would mourn for Flay another time, but now, his friend was threatened by one of ZAFT's top commanders. It was time to end this, he thought as he activated his SEED powers.

Athrun too went into SEED mode. But it was going to take more than that to stop Le Creuset. The three MSes were soon locked in battle...

After learning of the Dominion's demise, Andrew Waltfeld proposed a cease-fire to the Alliance. ZAFT was withdrawing its troops (at least, what's left of them). As Le Creuset fought on, he noticed that the battlefield was emptying. Why hadn't GENESIS fired? Eileen Canaver's voice came on the intercom.

"Commander Le Crueset, you may retreat now. ZAFT have won this day," she said with a plain voice.

"No, it hasn't," shouted Le Creuset. He was getting impatient.

"What's wrong, Commander? Feeling that something's not going according to your wishes," asked Athrun. By now, ZAFT's withdrawal was almost complete.

"Not that it concerns you, Zala," sneered Rau.

"Oh, but it does. Do you wish to know why I hijack the Eternal and the Freedom?"

"I don't think that mind of yours is capable of any good plans."

"Well, it seems that you forgot who is at GENESIS today."

After some thinking at Athrun's reminders, it hit Le Creuset like a ton of bricks. Although everything had seemed so perfect, he had forgotten that Canaver, not Zala, was at GENESIS today. Azrael had used his nukes and ZAFT had fired GENESIS but in the end, neither side was completely destroyed. In this crucial step, he had miscalculated. He cursed Azrael, Clyne and Canaver. He also cursed Athrun and Lacus. That was enough, thought the two young pilots.

"It's time to send you on your way," said Kira softly.

"I will never lose to the likes of you two," declared Le Creuset, but Athrun knew that his former commander was losing his cool. When that happened to people, they become vulnerable. Soon, Kira found an opening. He impaled the cockpit of the Providence with a double-sided beam saber. To finish Le Creuset off, the Justice used its beam saber to cut the Providence into two. The Providence was gone just like that, without so much as a whimper.

"Good bye, and good riddance," said Athrun. Kira nodded his agreement. The two friends returned to their respective ships.

On board the Archangel, La Flaga was fuming over Le Creuset's damage to the Aegis. Kojiro Murdoch declared that the Aegis would not be repaired after he had evaluated the extent of the damages; it would have to be replaced. Jokes aside, his expression turned grim when he thought about Skinny. Although Kira had helped to bring an end to the battle, he had paid a price for it. The Hawk waited in the hangar of the Archangel. He wanted to make sure that Kira did something before he could feel safe.

When Kira descended from the Freedom's cockpit, he was greeted by the cheers of the crew. Even Murrue and Natarle were there. Kira smiled for them, but as soon as he walked away from the crowd, La Flaga caught up with him.

"You've better let it all out, Skinny. You'll feel better that way."

Without further prompting, the boy's tears began to flow. The older man patted him on the head. No matter what he was capable of, he was still a 16-year-old teenager who had lost a girlfriend to war. La Flaga stood where he was, waving people away in case they disturbed the boy. When the captain and the first mate saw the weeping teen, they bowed their heads as they walked past him. His sobs almost prompted Murrue to cry herself. With Natarle's soft reminder ("Such is the cruelty of war."), the captain blinked back her tears. 

On board the Kusanagi, Cagalli too was crying. None of the Astray pilots had made it back: Mayura, Julie, Asagi... Kisaka tried to comfort the girl, but he didn't know how. All he could do was watch over her as she grieved for their loss.

On board the Eternal, the crew congratulated their ace on his triumphant return. As he thanked them, he looked at his fiancee. "I wonder..." he thought. He whispered to Lacus, "Will you marry me?"

The Pink Princess replied, "I will, but we would have to discuss this some other time. Not everyone was as fortunate as you." 

"What's going on with you two," teased Andrew.

"Nothing. I was just reminding him that the alliance had lost some brave solders today." The place went silent. Although the Eternal's casualties were minimal, people had been killed.Lacus called for the crew to pray for all who had paid the ultimate price in the war...

Afterthoughts

-Please RnR!

-Sorry if the writing seemed rushed. I must admit to one thing: I have NEVER seen this part of the GS anime ever. 


	14. Epilogue

After Jachin Due, Athrun decided to return to the PLANTs. Andrew Waltfeld contacted Siegel (in secret, of course), who decided that it was time his friend learnt the truth. After hearing his friend's explanation, Patrick Zala was shocked. He couldn't believe that his friend had conspired against him. Upon further questioning, it dawned upon him just how blinded he was by Rau Le Creuset. He quickly gave orders to remove the fugitive status of Athrun and the Eternal. As for the reason, he would reveal it "when the criminal returns".

Andrew received a message from Siegel. "Athrun is no longer wanted by ZAFT, but don't expect a warm reception when you return." He conveyed it to the teen; it didn't change his mind. He would receive whatever punishment his father have in store for him, but he would hold his head high. He had never been a traitor, and never would be one. He looked at his ZAFT redcoat. He would wear it on his return trip to the PLANT.

When the Eternal landed in Aprilius One, Athrun didn't know how to react if he saw his father. Lacus squeezed his hand. "Everything will be alright," she said.

Andrew Waltfeld and Martin Da Costa saluted the Chairman and Siegel Clyne. Athrun looked at his father, and did the same. Lacus bowed. Patrick Zala stepped up to his son and raised his hand. Athrun braced himself for the strike. Instead of hitting him, his father embraced him.

"I'm sorry." It was a simple apology, but it meant so much to the teen. He returned the hug, and his eyes watered. He then decided to announce something important to both fathers. Upon hearing the news, everyone was happy for the couple who had been through much together. Patrick made up his mind on how to resolve Athrun's matter.

At an emergency meeting, Patrick Zala announced his resignation as Supreme Council Chairman. He had failed in his duties, resulting in his son's actions. The Council, after some debate, accepted his resignation. Eileen Canaver was choosen as his successor. To ZAFT, the official line was that Athrun Zala had acted on the advice of Siegel Clyne to steal the Eternal and the Freedom to prevent them from falling into "the hands of the wrong people".

With that matter settled, Athrun formally proposed to his fiancee. As she said "yes", she had two requests. Patrick and Siegel nodded their approval when they heard about them.

As for the Kusanagi and the Archangel, they returned to Orb with little fanfare. Lord Uzumi and Lord Homura praised them for a job well done, although they too mourned the deaths of those Orb personnel who had been killed. Upon their return, the civilian enlistees decided to leave the military. What they had seen in Mendel and Jachin Due would haunt them for the rest of their lives. Murrue was reluctant to see them go; they had been with the Archangel for so long. Still, she respected their decisions. Tolle could still remember his father's words before they left Orb for Alaska: "You did the right thing, son." Now, he could say to those who cared to listen that he had done his part.

Kira decided to stay behind. Cagalli was the only family he had now. His foster parents would never understand what he had been through during the war. Lord Uzumi decided to assign him as Cagalli's bodyguard. Also, he had suggested to Homura that Cagalli be his successor. Homura was glad to hand the post over. In fact, he wanted Cagalli to take over with immediate effect; he was tired of the bickering and scheming of the other lords. Uzumi decided that the girl needed time to learn the tools of the trade. He told his brother to be a little patient...

When Athrun sent the invitation to Orb, Kira and Cagalli felt honoured and happy for him. When they saw the date, they realised the implications. They marked it on their calenders, although they wouldn't have missed it for the world in any case. As for the rest of the former Le Creuset team, they too were invited, along with their parents. Yzak decided to do something about that scar of his. Athrun had a special request for Nicol, which he readily accepted.

Valentine's Day, C.E. 72, the second anniversary of the Bloody Valentine Incident; it was also the day of Athrun Zala's and Lacus Clyne's wedding. As a private ceremony, the media was kept away. The few guests who were invited made their way to the Zala residence, where Athrun was there to received each guest. Andrew Waltfeld and Martin Da Costa were already there to make sure that everything ran smoothly (Actually, the Tiger was there just to see to the coffee; Da Costa was the one who was doing most of the work.).

The first to arrive was Yzak and his mother, Ezalia. Athrun was a little surprised that he had turned up so early. Yzak mumbled his well-wishes and his apology for misunderstanding him. The groom then noticed something different about his friend.

"You removed your scar?"

"Well, I have no reason to keep it. Would he be here?"

"Would you leave if I say yes?" The platinum-blond pilot shook his head.

Next was Dearka, and his father. The oldest teen of the lot couldn't resist the chance to dig at the groom.

"You look better in white than in the redcoat." Athrun, dressed in a white tuxedo, looked at his guest. Dearka slapped him on the shoulder before proceeding inside.

Kira and Cagalli hoped that they wouldn't be late. They had to make their way to the Panama spaceport for their trip to the PLANT. Although Chairman Canaver had given them permission, their clearance seemed a little slow, but, they made it on time. Kira congratulated his best friend, who told him that his other friends were here as well. The teen was a little uncomfortable with that. Cagalli felt like an outsider. It reminded her of the time the two were at the residence of the Desert Tiger. Also, she was the only Natural among the guests. Despite his own unease, Kira asked his sister to take it easy. As it turned out, they bumped into Yzak and Dearka. Yzak stiffly stuck out his hand. Kira took the hand and shook it warmly.

"Well, we meet again. Last time, you were behind a chain link fence." Cagalli recognised that voice.

"You were the one piloting the Buster."

"So, you're that little miss, huh? For the record, he was the one who took out the MS." Dearka pointed at his partner. He didn't expect to see the pilot whom he had helped saved in that battle. Kira took a closer look at the Duel's pilot.

"Yes, I took that scar off, but it doesn't mean anything," said the teen with a huff. As far as Kira was concerned, he had been forgiven. Anyway, the Tiger had already spotted them...

Nicol and his parents were apologetic when Athrun received them.

"He insisted on playing the pieces until they were perfect," said Yuri.

"Only the best for my best friend's wedding," replied the pianist. Athrun thanked Nicol again.

Everything went perfectly. Just as Nicol finished his preparations, the bride and her father arrived, together with Eileen. The young man looked at Lacus. So, the saying that a lady looked her best on her wedding day was true after all, thought the groom. He took his bride's hand...

After the ceremony, the groom delivered a short speech, where he remembers his mother, who "couldn't be here today". He then thanked everyone who attended before asking the Chairman if the broadcast was ready. She nodded.

The screens in the garden came alive as the final preparations was made (The idea of holding the wedding in a garden resembling the one at the Clyne residence was Athrun's idea.). According to Lacus's wishes, GENESIS would be demolished on this day as well. As the ZAFT superweapon is destroyed, almost everyone appreciated the significance of the events. Both the demolition and the wedding symbolised the beginning of a new era for Coordinators. Come to think about it, Rau Le Creuset did get something right after all, thought Athrun, as he remembered what the masked commander had said before. Nonetheless, if anyone ever tried to dictate the fate of Humanity again, Athrun knew that he would bear arms once again, and he would not be alone in the fight...

Afterthoughts

-Please RnR! 


End file.
